


Neither Fish Nor Flesh

by swan_songs



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Almost Drowning, Blood and Injury, But Things Might Change(tm), Enemies to Lovers, Human Akira, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Merman!Akechi, Mutual Pining, at least from Goro's POV, handjobs, mermaid au, uhh spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-05-20 18:47:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 31,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14899982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swan_songs/pseuds/swan_songs
Summary: Mermaid AU. The world is cruel to those that don’t fit in. Both Akira and Akechi are outcasts in their respective societies – the first one because of a false accusation that tarnished his name, the second one because of being born with a cursed tail color. Both are trying their best with the cards they were dealt, but it’s considerably harder for Akechi who is being chased by people who hunt supernatural beings like himself for profit.For Akira, a normal teenager still living with his parents in a remote city by the sea, meeting a creature straight from fairy tales might be both the worst and best thing that has ever happened to him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Shuakeshu Big Bang 2018](https://shuakeshubb.tumblr.com/)! Please check other works submited to this awesome project!
> 
> Art for this fic was drawn by [CreativeLea](http://creativelea.tumblr.com/post/174764649863/my-two-shuakeshu-shuakeshubb-pieces-for), thank you so much! 
> 
> Also special thanks to Ammehsuor who beta'ed this disaster.

 

 

Seaside cities during early autumn had to be the most depressing places in the world.

 

They were, at least to Akira. People were gone, restaurants closed, shops empty. Streets and sidewalks looked too big without a single tourist in sight. Only silence and emptiness remained after their departure. As if to mock the sleepy town, lately even the sun was hiding behind the clouds more often than not, making the sea cold gray in color and the wind that took reign over the beach so uninviting, it was devoid of locals most of the time.

 

Except for Akira.

 

The now abandoned wooden pier in the older part of the town became his new hangout spot now that there was nowhere to hide in the city. Nowhere he wouldn’t be recognized.

 

The sea itself went from a completely overlooked part of the landscape to the only way to silence his thoughts by its roar.

 

Sitting out there at the mercy of the elements was still better than what was waiting for him at home: an atmosphere so tense he was close to choking if he stayed inside for too long, a state of constant calm before the storm, and Akira wanted to postpone the storm for as long as he could. He hated how silent his parents became, how distant, ever since the  _ incident  _ even though he was proven innocent within days. The troublemaker stigma stayed though, bad for business, a blemish on the city’s name in most of the adults’ eyes.

 

The impression of being given second chance by them and his school stung knowing he didn’t even deserve the first strike. And although he was allowed to do as he pleased, even more so than before, Akira felt caged. No one expected anything good from him anymore; they just wanted him out of the way. By now, weeks after the fact, he was too tired by the indifference and occasional hostility towards him to care what others thought anymore. Akira had a feeling he would never be able to change their minds anyway.

 

He figured he’d just have to endure until he could leave everything behind, attaining independence in the near future, a beacon of hope in his grim reality. The thought of escaping this hell of a town where he has no future, if only to spite the townspeople, was what kept him going this long after all. He would grit his teeth, he would bow his head, he would get out of the way and wait.

 

But even as everyone turned away from him, Morgana had stayed. The stray he took in a while ago, shortly before everything happened, remained loyal and even more affectionate as of late, those eerily intelligent-looking eyes not letting Akira out of their sight. The cat had such huge appetite for fresh fish that Akira once jokingly took his father’s old rod to the pier to catch them dinner, only for Morgana to keep pestering him about it since then.

 

Now, they were fishing daily if the weather allowed for it. Over time Akira got a lot better at it too, more often than not able to catch even a whole bucket of fish by midday.  If only there were something to truly keep him entertained until he could finally leave here for good

 

* * *

 

_ Each swipe of the tail will get you further away from them. Don’t stop. _

 

This single-minded focus was what kept Akechi from succumbing to exhaustion. Even if pain from his injured shoulder area would flare up with each stroke, even if he had no idea he was still being followed, he didn’t dare to look anywhere but in front of himself.

 

But after a good while completely on your own and running on empty for so long, even the most frantic adrenaline filling your veins can’t substitute actual food and rest. Akechi learns this once his body refuses being pushed past its limits any longer and is out like a light mid-swing, left at the mercy of the ocean’s currents to do whatever they please with him.

 

\---

 

He wakes up only when he’s roughly shoved against something cold and coarse, his head slightly dipping into the mysterious mass. Sand?

 

Now that he thinks about it, sand is everywhere -  in his eyes, hair and gills, worst of all. He’s covered in it and his sluggish brain is trying and failing to make any sense of it. Akechi reaches out blindly, dully notes how unusually heavy his arm feels, but is quickly drained by such a simple action and lets it drop with an audible smack. The sound halts any and all semi-coherent thought processes and replaces them with alarm bells quickly starting to go off in his head. He has to find strength to move before panic clouds everything and his body decides it’s had enough once again.

 

Gradually becoming more and more aware of his surroundings - water rhythmically washing over his prone form, gusts of wind chilling his skin and that pesky sand that’s absolutely  _ everywhere  _ now - Akechi has a suspicion as to what’s happened but he would oh so much rather not deal with it. He wants it all to be just a dream. But it’s obviously not and he has to stay calm even if his heart is already in his throat-

 

Just when Goro thought his situation couldn’t get any worse, the ocean decided to spit him out on some unknown shore.

 

_ At least it’s after dark _ , he notes once he manages to open his eyes. He wasn’t captured but he’s definitely close to a human settlement. There’s a long and thin wooden construction stretching a good distance to the ocean to his right, and the beach is bordered by a low fence created from some human-made material.

 

He quickly realises he’s asking for trouble just lying there, even if it’s nice to just catch his breath; he has to come back to the water, find shelter as far away from here as he can.

 

First step would be lifting his upper body from the small depression it made in the wet sand andthe attempt, while successful, leaves him completely winded. Once he manages to steady himself, Goro proceeds to slowly ease himself back into the water, pushing against the uneven ground. He tries not to get annoyed by how the sand keeps swallowing his palms and the waves keep pushing him away, only serving to make his job harder. But once he’s successfully submerged, able to breathe and think properly, he darts to hide below the pier.

 

He stays motionless, hidden in the darkest shadow, watching if anyone is following him. He’s tense and clawing at the beams, ready to lash out at the smallest notion of danger.

 

Movement in the corner of his eye grabs his attention. Akechi whips his head in its direction and his eyes zero in not on a threat, but on a crab making its way up a rock. 

 

_ Food _ .

 

Goro doesn't even blink before the animal is in his grasp, wiggling its appendages in obvious distress. He makes quick work of it and before he can even think about what he’s doing, he’s searching for more among the cracked rocks. They aren’t spider crabs and barely worth the trouble with how much work is required to get to the meager amounts of soft parts, but they are easy enough to capture and there seems to be plenty of them.

 

He settles only once he combs through all the rubble below the pier in search of easy prey and finding enough to sate his ravenous hunger. The bliss of a filled belly washes over him for the first time in weeks; he was still too slow and clumsy to catch any sleepy fish, but at this point he’s far from picky.

 

He also manages to find a large and secure enough space to hide his tail in. Hoping to get some much needed rest, he hides under the farthest part of the pier, where a small, separate platform was practically resting on the rocks, barely above the water. He knows it’s a bad idea to stay this close to a human settlement. He knows he should immediately get away as fast as he can - it was almost sunrise - but every muscle in his body was screaming; he was sore from newly acquired bruises thanks to bumping into jagged stones and he could barely see straight from exhaustion. The only thing on his mind was curling up and sleeping undisturbed in that somewhat-safe spot; his only hope no human would be smart enough to come looking for him so close to the shore.

 

With that thought he allows himself to drift off.

 

* * *

 

A loud thud followed by footsteps on the platform above prove him wrong, as the noise startles him awake. His heart is pounding in his ears just as loudly and Akechi has half a mind to flee as soon as his eyes snap open.He knows that might be exactly what the stranger is counting on, and so he opts to curl further into his little hollow to observe and prepare himself for a possible fight.

 

His gills are flared out in agitation and even though his sleep-laden mind makes it hard to calm down and think rationally, Goro hopes his hiding spot and copious amounts of seafoam act as good enough camouflage, as that’s all he has for now. He grips the rocks and curls his tail anyway, ready to bolt at the first sight of danger. 

 

But nothing comes and in fact the human, just one judging from the silence, doesn’t seem to be moving either. Goro dares to peek out from his hiding spot. At an angle, from in between the planks he witness the intruding human, dressed in all dark clothes that made him look a lot bigger that he probably was, standing on the lower bar of the railing, occupied with staring at the ocean.

 

Akechi couldn’t see his face but something in the human’s posture unnerves Akechi. If they didn’t come here to hunt him down, what are they doing here looking like they want to test themselves against the ocean? A cat’s meow snaps both of them out of their respective stupors, making the human look at the ground and forcing Goro to duck his head underwater.

 

Clearing out some seafoam to be able to see anything, through the gaps in the planks Akechi can partially see the human’s face - one without any outstanding characteristics but distinctly male, with hair and eyes the same dark colors as his clothing. What catches his attention is a weird black frame sitting on the human’s nose but that’s all Akechi can see before the other turns back to him again.

 

A swishing sound cuts through the air as the human suddenly swings his arms forcefully back and then forth once, causing something to fall into the water quite a bit away from the pier and Akechi to startle. When the human sits down after propping the long pole on the railing it dawns on Goro that this is how humans fish. He came here looking for food as well.

 

It reminds Akechi of his own hunger, flaring up as it’s no longer suppressed by the stress of intrusion, but he doesn’t dare to go out even to search for more of those troublesome crabs. He opts to watch as the human pets his companion, now sitting in his lap, murmuring words that are lost to the sea’s roar as soon as they leave his lips.

 

Nothing happens for a long enough while for Akechi to doze off, but then the human springs to his feet, reaching for the fishing rod in haste. After a short struggle he manages to reel in a quite sizeable fish and, not long after casting the rod again, another one. Goro watches mesmerized as the human slowly fills up the container by his legs, now almost filled to the brim with beheaded, fresh fish.

 

The hunger is nigh impossible to ignore right now, the alluring smell almost overriding Akechi’s common sense. He has to come up with a plan; there’s no way the human needs that many. One or two missing wouldn’t hurt that much and would allow Goro to take it easy for the rest of the day, not needing to waste the precious energy required to recover quickly.

 

He swims closer until he’s directly under the human.

 

But he can't just haul himself up an grab whatever would be in his reach - the human would surely notice and that’s even worse than going hungry.

 

He could-

 

He could sing.

 

While it was mainly supposed to lure humans away from places they were unwelcome in, he could alter it a bit to sound more like his late mother’s lullabies. Obviously, he’s never had the need for it before, other than occasionally humming quietly a couple notes to himself when he felt down. This thought alone has Goro on the edge, but his memory of the melody was perfect and that could be his best shot at getting dinner. The risk is more than worth the reward and he’s not about to go hungry because of stage fright. 

 

As Goro is to open his mouth, he’s suddenly self-conscious, aware of what his mother’s song is about to be used for and his own uncertainty if he can even pull it off. An insistent rumble of his stomach makes him abandon this train of thought very quickly though, anger simmering in the pit of his stomach, causing him to grit his teeth. He’s not desecrating the song in any way if he needs it to stay alive. Also, what does he care for the human? It’s his own kind’s fault Goro has to resort to deceit and theft.

 

He begins before he can talk himself out of it again. The first notes are soft, quiet and so unsure Akechi internally scoffs. He halts and takes a deeper breath this time, closes his eyes and tries again. Satisfied with the proper control he has over his voice, Goro opens his eyes again, shining brightly with determination, and puts even more effort into the song as its volume increases.

 

The effect is instantaneous - the human straightens out looking for the source of the captivating melody he’s hearing only for it to immediately take its effect. He brings a hand to his face, not understanding what is causing this sudden dizzy spell, but soon enough slumps to the ground with a quiet thud, unable to keep his eyes open. Goro keenly observes for an indication to stop, and once the human’s breathing slows down, now relaxed and fast asleep, he’s on the move.

 

Genuinely surprised with how smoothly his plan went, the merman dunks his head in the water one last time before he swims out from below the platform and vaults himself up. It’s enough with just his upper body outstretched on the pier to have the bucket within his reach and that’s what he zeroes in on. Not needing to distract himself with anything else, even if the form of the sleeping human piques his curiosity, Goro has no idea how long the human will stay under his spell and goes for the bucket as soon as it’s within his reach. An involuntary smile appears on his face; with food taken care of, it’s one thing less he has to worry about.

 

His contentment doesn’t last long. A black blur that was the human’s pet pouncing on his outstretched arm forcefully stops Akechi in his tracks. The creature sinks its claws into the exposed skin of the merman’s forearm as soon as it lands, a vicious and definitely not cat-like scream escaping it.

 

“Thief! What did you do to Akira?” The shrill cry is so loud Goro is sure it could be heard from the shore and his priority shifts to quieting the cat.

 

He tries to grab the offending animal with his free hand but the creature is faster than his dulled reflexes and aching, bruised muscles. It jumps away out of Goro’s immediate reach with a hiss and bristles, looking like it’s ready to go for the merman’s eyes this time.

 

But Akechi is not going to be bested in intimidation tactics by a mere companion of a lowly human. He angles his upper body to the side and lightly curls his spine to make the dorsal fin running along it more visible, its pointed radials raised and spread fully. His movements are sharp and snappy and the pure glee he feels at the cat jumping in surprise upon him fanning out the additional frills framing his shoulders - their sharp movement and clapping sound is meant to startle, the red eyespots present at the tips a clear warning. The display is slightly impaired by the fact that the membrane of the right shoulder fin is badly torn and far from fully healed. In addition to that the cuts behind it make themselves known with a sharp flare of pain that makes Akechi wince. He tries to cover it by baring his teeth, hoping his opponent misses the moment of weakness and the easily exploitable injury.

 

What he doesn’t expect is the cat to completely back off, its ears flat against its head, breaking eye contact to look somewhere below him. Akechi, confused, follows the creature’s gaze only to be made aware of something warm,  _ blood _ , making its way down his arm and ribs that jut out too much for his liking, visible proof of being without proper nutrition due to the fact that being relentlessly chased didn’t afford him enough time to feed himself.

 

The red liquid is starting to drip down onto the planks and Akechi immediately flattens the shoulder fin against his back, right above the injury to stem the blood flow, cursing his recklessness. He has to leave immediately, he can’t afford to leave any trails behind himself, he has to-

 

In a panicked haze he reaches out for the container determined to make this mistake count in any way possible. If he has to drag the whole thing into the water instead of picking out the couple of nicest fish and vanishing he will do it. However, this spurs the cat back into action and it leaps, intending to push the merman’s hand away with its whole body only to be swatted away by a more prepared Akechi. Unfortunately, because it would go against the laws of nature for something to go Akechi’s way, he creature bounces against the human’s leg before landing flat on its back with a cry. The human stirs and the world goes still for Goro, along with his heart.

 

And then his eyes flutter and Akechi doesn’t remember ever moving this quickly before - in less than second the bucket is overturned and the human’s haul is spilled across the pier and down into the water. With a single push of his hands Goro makes himself scarce, falling tail first into the ocean to chase after the fish that fell from the pier, not once looking back.

 

\--

 

On the pier Akira, despite the awful vertigo brought about by him abruptly standing up after being rudely awoken from his impromptu nap, scrambles to catch the bucket before it’s lost to the ocean’s waves. With all traces of sleep wiped away by the surge of adrenaline in his blood, he straightens to take in the scene in front of him. The pier is completely dry, and yet it looks as though tsunami rolled over it. Unable to come up with a different explanation than Morgana getting spooked by something, or just impatient from hunger, Akira reaches one hand to the couple of fish that lie strewn across the pier closest to him to put them back in their place and with the other, picks up Morgana, who is loudly meowing at the water below them. With a bit of difficulty he lifts the cat to press it against his chest in an attempt to calm it down.

 

“Really, Morgana? Were you really that hungry you had to turn the whole thing over?” Akira doesn’t even sound angry, just dejected, his shoulders dropping. He cranes his head over the edge to see what Morgana is so upset about, just in case, but sees nothing and sighs. “You know you can have anything I caught.” He huffs and noses the fur on Morgana’s head in a bid to have the fussing cat stop trying to break free.

 

“I didn’t take anything and it’s not my fault the bucket fell over! There was a mer that tried to steal our fish! They put you to sleep with their song too!” Morgana tries to explain himself knowing full well Akira can’t understand him. “They were injured! They could still be nearby!” 

 

The cat still hasn’t ceased his attempts to wiggle from the human’s grasp and it only serves to further agitate both parties. Akira probably just didn’t want him to fall into the water, which was entirely possible with how Morgana tended to get ahead of himself, often not thinking about the consequences. But this was too important to be afraid of some water; a possibly dangerous, stray merman needed to be put in his place and Morgana was more than eager to be the one to do it. Cowardly thieves were among his least favorite things in the world.

 

Akira, lost in thought himself, is curious as to what has caused the cat to lash out so badly so he gives the pier an another once-over, this time more thoroughly. There’s nothing worth noting at the first glance but as he directs his attention back to Morgana, he spots a dark splatter near the edge of the pier. Akira instinctively knows what it is; there aren’t many liquids that would be visible against the dark, weathered wood but he moves closer to inspect it, dread filling his stomach. 

 

“Calm down Morgana, please.” Barely a whisper is uttered by Akira as he lets go of the bucket to embrace the cat fully. He kneels close to the spot he can’t tear his eyes away from and Morgana uses that moment of distraction to free himself, gracefully jumping to the side.

“Hey-!” Akira begins but words die in his throat as soon as he notices what the cat is standing close to and sniffing at.

 

An imprint of a very much human hand made with the same substance. Blood.

 

A worriedly sounding high-pitched meow snaps Akira from his trance and he abruptly stands, startling even Morgana, to shakily look around, his head jerking in all directions. Then, an idea crosses his mind and he looks at his own hands - clean, if a little sweaty. He isn’t injured, so... was there somebody else, someone who was hurt and needed help? There had to be, but no one has followed him and he was alone now, so-

 

A warm body brushing against his shins makes him jump and let out a breath of air he wasn’t aware he was holding. Morgana. Calm down, it’s just Morgana. He needs get himself under control.

 

“Let’s go home, I must be more tired than I thought if I fell asleep out here. I’ll make us something warm to eat too, ok?” His voice is deceptively even, but his eyes are wild. Not giving himself a chance to freak out any further, Akira swiftly picks up Morgana, looks around one more time and makes sure his mind is not playing tricks on him - the hand imprint is still there, demanding his attention, before he turns and swiftly makes his way back home without once looking back.

 

That night he lies awake in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep no matter how much Morgana is complaining and nagging.

 

\--

 

Below them Akechi crams himself into his small hideout, clutching whatever he managed to grab close to his heaving chest. The whole encounter almost went completely wrong, but that’s what you get for getting involved with humans, he mused. He uncurls slightly to check up on the still-bleeding wound on his shoulderblade area, but he knows it won’t heal up properly until he gets some decent rest anyway, so he lets it be. He doesn't seem to have been followed either so the blood isn’t giving his position away. That’s good. He’s safe and momentarily all tension drains from him.

 

Now that Goro can use his mouth for something other than taking huge gulps of water to supply his stressed body with oxygen, he tears into the fish in his hands with abandon. He tries not to think about how embarrassing his animalistic behavior is as chunk after chunk, not even chewed at first, lands in his empty stomach. The bliss of a decent meal after running on empty for so long removes all his inhibitions. At least he didn’t make any mess; he was too absorbed to get rid of the less nutritious parts he usually wouldn’t bother with. But, alas.

 

Once he’s done and the fog of ravenous hunger lifts from his mind he finally listens to what his body was trying to tell him for a while now - eating so much so fast? After starving for days? Bad, bad idea. The sudden pain coming from his too-full stomach makes him fold in half, fighting the urge to be violently sick. He grits his teeth and only now curses the greed which is about make all his efforts be in vain.

 

It’s dark by the time he stops squirming and finds a comfortable position, but he manages and once the worst of the pain wears off, his stomach resigns to its fate, leaving him lightheaded and shaky. In the end he doesn’t regret a single one of his actions today and with that thought Goro falls asleep.

 

* * *

 

The human doesn’t return on the next day, but Akechi is too preoccupied with fighting his stomach so that it doesn’t turn inside out and succumbing to bouts of food coma in the meantime to notice.

 

* * *

 

Yet again Akechi has no idea how long he has slept. Yet again, it’s the same thudding sound as before that rouses him from slumber.

 

He feels heavy and sluggish, testament to his feast, but at least his stomach has properly settled, bringing him relief and some semblance of lucidity. In all honesty he could have stuffed himself with rocks, not actual food, and the result would be just about the same.

 

Very, very slowly he uncurls, aching muscles begging him to find a more comfortable place to sleep next time, and carefully peeks out to check his surroundings. The light hum he thought was just the buzz of his tired mind turned out to be the sound of the rain falling, a heavy one to boot. It makes him sigh in relief as with how much he was bleeding, there had to be traces left of him on the pier. Not anymore. One thing less to worry about.

 

Once he makes sure it’s safe to do so, Akechi swims up and sticks his head above the water. There’s a considerable layer of thick fog right above the surface of the eerily calm sea and he takes a moment to glance around. The calm soothes his still frayed nerves and the merman takes a deep breath; rain and its smell came to be something he greatly enjoyed, and he ducks down so that only his eyes are above water. Using the fog as camouflage, he swims farther away from his hiding spot.

 

The human from before is back, but he’s just standing there motionlessly, allowing himself to be drenched by the rain. His noisy company seems to be missing as well.

 

Akechi is confused. Did they come to fish in this weather? Humans aren’t overly fond of being exposed to large amounts of water for too long, from what the merman has heard, and yet here’s one getting completely drenched of their own volition. What a curious sight. While Goro can’t see too well, the fishing rod seems to indeed be present, propped against the railing, just out of the human’s reach. It’s in the same spot Akechi remembers it being yesterday… or whatever day it was the last time he was lucid enough to pay attention to the passage of time. Did the human forget to bring it back with him?

 

Aren't humans supposed to be sociable? Like merfolk? The stray thought makes Akechi more uncomfortable than he likes to admit, but his interest is piqued, nonetheless. Was something wrong with the human? Could he exploit it somehow?

 

Akechi stops himself at that. No, he will not stoop so low as to cause needles and excessive harm like humans are known to do. This one hasn’t tried anything yet, but Goro would make sure they wouldn’t get the chance to do so. His life is more precious than some human’s. Even if they have proven themselves quite useful so far.

 

But there is a twinge of sympathy in his heart for the lonely human that has been kinder to him than so many others Goro has met in his life. Of course, they are more than likely unaware of that fact, but still.

 

Akechi stays under the pier, keeping the oblivious human company until they gather their belongings and leave.

 

* * *

 

On the next day, the human arrives when Goro is snacking on the crabs that tried to reclaim their home earlier in the morning. He did not appreciate being woken by the small critters pinching his fins, oh no. But they wouldn’t even come close to being a filling meal,and he would be lying if he wasn’t hoping for the human to appear today. His hunger is back but the fish he tried to catch by himself were still faster than him.

 

For now, Akechi resorts to only watching; no trace of yesterday’s rain remains and the weather is perfectly clear. He longs to stretch out in shallow water warmed by the rays of the sun, but there’s no way he wouldn’t be noticed if he did that.

 

He swims closer, if only to relish in the vicinity of another intelligent creature, trying to squash the intrusive thought of having fallen so low that he has willingly chosen to stay this close to a human. Has loneliness messed with his head so much to accept any type of company? But no one is here to judge him so Akechi curls up below the platform and dozes off, feeling weirdly calm for how close he is to what he was taught all his life to be his mortal enemy. Suddenly, despite this, he’s feeling a little bit less alone in this world.

 

Later, he still steals a bunch of fish from the human’s haul, but with far fewer issues this time. He’s ready for Morgana, even if the cat is staring down at him as soon as Goro’s song reaches its ears. A quick threat of shoving the creature off the pier has it keep its distance, hissing and swishing its tail as Akechi pointedly ignores it. He’s smarter this time, taking only as much as he can eat in one sitting and with a single glance towards the sleeping human, he’s gone.

 

* * *

 

Over the next couple of days the situation repeats itself, each time having Akechi increasingly baffled that the human returns each day. He knows he means no harm, not bodily at least, but the human seems to be severely lacking in the self-preservation department in Goro’s opinion. He  _ has  _ to know by now that the fish missing from the bucket are not going back to the ocean on their own. He has to.

 

Even Akechi, in his limited knowledge of humans, suspects they are not that stupid. But it’s even harder to believe that the human, for whatever reason, is willingly letting their hard-earned food be stolen. If there’s one thing that humans aren’t, it’s merciful. Goro refuses to believe that it’s the goodness of the other’s heart that allowed him to enjoy peace and relative safety for this long. And a full stomach, and a place to rest, and a chance for his wounds to heal, and-

 

_ No. _

 

* * *

 

Goro’s suspicions are confirmed the next day.

 

It’s almost as if the human is reading his mind- as if his anxiety was sensed by the other, as through they  _ knew. _

 

As soon as Goro hauls himself up from the water he almost bumps into a box placed close to edge of the pier. Inside of it, a couple of sizeable fish. A disgruntled looking Morgana, sitting between the container and the human.

 

In that moment, Goro knows he screwed up.

 

He would leave as soon as his strength returned fully: that was what he told himself each time he lulled the human to sleep, each time avoiding sharp teeth and claws with the increased dexterity that came with proper rest and nutrition.

 

So far, he tried to justify the theft as necessary for survival and reason with himself that he needs the fish more, all in order to squash the feeling of inferiority that came with having to depend on a human of all things. Without success he tried to understand why the human kept coming back, more than once a day in some cases, and it occurred to him that he could be hurting the human with his actions. He never thought twice when he stole from other mers when he was younger, but they weren’t kind towards him either so it was their own fault.

 

It’s too complicated to reason with himself, and too late for that too, so Goro just tries to spare himself the headache of figuring all of it out. What else could go wrong; everything already has. He got comfortable and now, the human was willingly sharing what belonged to them with him. It was time to leave this place. _ Immediately. _

 

He starts to back up, but before he can make his retreat fully the cat’s voice reaches his ears.

 

“H-hey! Akira left this for you! Where are you going, you ungrateful thief?!”

 

Akechi halts, but the last thing he wants to endure now is being called out by the furry creature. He whips his head away from the ocean and sees the cat a good distance away from him, clearly aware that being anywhere close to the merman could spell its demise. Akechi’s fins raise in agitation, stiff and fanned out to the point he can feel the burn of his skin being stretched taut. This is not how he imagined his day would go.

 

“It’s clear that my presence was discovered. I’d be a fool to stay here any longer. Unlike some, I’m not going to jump at the possibility of becoming a human’s pet,” Akechi grits out instantly, fury dripping from his tongue like water from his hair.

 

He has not been this angry in a while, at the world, at  _ himself,  _ at whatever was still compelling him to continue his sorry existence. This is where life has led him - hanging with half his body over a pier’s edge, about to lose his mind, because what else do you call trying to reason with a cat?

 

One would think living in constant stress killed faster.

 

“I know you mers are constantly hunted down by humans, but Akira’s not like that! He takes care of me-”

 

“Only because he doesn’t know you’re a shapeshifter; don’t fool yourself.” Akechi interrupts Morgana, beyond tired of this exchange. There’s a sense of glee filling him as the cat deflates at his words. He knew it, he knew that the human is treating the creature like an ordinary animal, only because he believes that’s all it is.

 

“He often tells me he thinks I’m more than just a cat, and he’s right because I’m a human! I just like this form the best!”

 

Goro just closes his eyes and forces himself to remain calm. “Are you really that desperate? Do you have no shame?”

 

“Says the one who was desperate enough to steal from a human!”Morgana was done playing nice as well.

 

If Akechi hadn’t reached the boiling point before, he definitely does now. Without another word he pushes away from the pier and slips back into the water, letting the ocean swallow him, its cold temperature doing nothing to cool him off. He will not let the cat drag him to its level. It’s beyond irritating to have been called out by that weak creature, but you can't always have your fish and eat it too. If anything, Akechi had pride and he’d not stand to be insulted in such a way. He will not let anyone back him into a corner again. He’d just have to show he’s better than that and therefore, it’s time to do business the civilised way.

 

With a lot more force than necessary, he storms into his makeshift “home” to retrieve a couple of things he found while combing through the nooks and crannies of the rocky bottom below the pier.

 

In a flurry of hair and raised fins, he grabs at a small collection of ambers and pearls he amassed over the last couple of weeks. He refuses to believe the human would share its food willingly - they weren’t capable of kindness after all. Goro wasn’t one to believe in selfless act out of the goodness of one’s heart, either. Therefore, a trade of favors was in order.

 

As Goro was steadily regaining strength and starting to explore the area more, he came across a few sizeable ambers uncovered by the ever-unpredictable currents surrounding the pier. He had no idea if the stone had any value in the above-water world, but it did where merfolk lived so Akechi held onto it. His slight hoarding tendencies that stemmed from not knowing when something could be used as a bargaining chip, coupled with being unable to rely on anyone else most of his life, did pay off every now and then.

 

Goro picks out the three largest ambers, one for each fish in the container, and a couple of other less notable finds just in case. He tries not to focus on how ridiculous the whole situation is, how he should be far away from here by now, and quietly resurfaces below the pier to check if the human is still asleep. 

 

He is, and so he has no excuses not to finish what he started.

 

Slowly, almost reluctantly, urged only by his rumbling stomach, Akechi climbs back up the pier but this time slides his tail below the railing to sit properly. If he was to do business, he’d look the part.

 

Morgana clearly didn’t expect him to return and doesn't even notice Akechi being back, apparently too busy trying, and failing, to make the human wake up by headbutting his face. Goro never bothered to test the depth of the sleep induced by him; he only knew it takes a while for the human to awaken on their own.

 

The appalling absurdity of the scene unfolding before him makes Goro pause and cover his mouth to stifle any unbecoming sounds that might dare to escape it. With that under control, he clears his throat to get the cat’s attention in hopes of it not actually waking the human up.

 

“Hope this will be a sufficient payment.” Goro murmurs and opens the palm holding the couple of ambers towards Morgana once the creature turns to him with an indigent squawk. Without sparing it a second glance, Akechi reaches out and drags the container closer to himself, exchanging the fish inside for the semi-precious stones he’s brought. His head is turned to the side, slightly bowed to have his hair shield him from Morgana’s piercing gaze that was making the nape of his neck burn with shame and defiance.

 

He pauses when the cat jumps down and confidently makes its way towards him. Goro is immediately tensing and on the defensive. Observing its every move, Akechi wastes no time conveying his displeasure by slightly spreading out fins and frills around his shoulders. Morgana’s step falters only a fraction, but he doesn’t stop until he’s just out of the merman’s immediate reach. From there he breaks eye contact to quickly glance at the rest of Goro’s body, leaving him feeling oddly self-conscious. He did not agree to being scrutinized by this creature.

 

“So you’re not that bad after all.” The confidence in the cat’s voice has Goro’s fins shake in annoyance.

 

“What do you mean not that-!”    
  


Something small and cold suddenly touching a fresh bruise, one he acquired during his earlier fit, makes Goro recoil and jump back with an embarrassingly loud yelp.

 

The cat’s nose! How dare it touch him- and to cause harm, too! That spot just below his elbow has been pulsing with dull pain since he-

 

Only it wasn’t. Not anymore at least. 

 

Profusely dumbfounded, he can’t keep but stare as the slight discoloration on his skin fades with a gentle glow of healing magic. As soon as it dawns on Akechi what just happened and he registers the smug look on the cat’s face, a groan has them both snap their attention to the forgotten human.  _ Stirring  _ human.

 

It takes less than half a second for Goro’s flight response to kick in. He brings the fish laid out before him to his chest and folds his arms around them to practically roll down the pier’s edge and back to the ocean. Its cold embrace immediately soothes his impending headache and sun-irritated skin. He tries not to think about how his image must be ruined in that furry creature’s eyes now. An incredibly gifted and useful creature too, much to his dismay. No wonder the human keeps it around; who wouldn’t want a companion skilled in healing magic? Goro squashes the bubbling feeling of jealousy with mediocre results.

 

Instead he focuses on the sounds of commotion coming from above him. He can’t fully understand the human’s words, but he hears something completely new in his voice- wonder, excitement, maybe even a bit of happiness- and it stirs something in Akechi's chest.  It’s a conflict of fulfillment at pleasing the human who unknowingly might have saved his life with his gift, and the rising dread that came with the desire to hear that voice directed at himself again.

 

Later, much to his displeasure, Goro discovers that he has squeezed the fish so hard, their burst insides have contaminated the meat badly enough to be inedible. Crab for dinner it is.

 

* * *

 

For the next couple of days Goro always brings something with himself - be it a couple of pearls he found inside clams, small pieces of colorful see-through material that seemed man-made, shells in all sizes and shapes and more amber - literally everything that caught his attention.

 

When he finally didn’t need to rely on the human for proper food, he started to bring fish he caught himself to put in the bucket. Each time he would see the human smile at his gifts, and he couldn’t help but smile as well, the now-familiar feeling of being irrationally happy for, hopefully, brightening the human’s day something he looked forward to each morning and evening.

 

This weird relationship, this unfamiliar sensation of just maybe finally having a place to belong, this life of blissful ignorance was something Goro was getting accustomed to faster than he ever thought he would.

 

He had no illusions that the human,  _ Akira,  _ was aware of his presence. Morgana confirmed as much during one of the short talks they have each time Goro climbs up the pier. He also learned that Akira, as he doesn’t really believe in supernatural creatures, can’t hear his cat friend, and so Goro’s secret was safe. For now, as apparently in his one-sided conversations with Morgana, Akira has repeatedly voiced interest in meeting the ‘fish thief’.

 

Akechi doesn’t know what to do with that information. His first reaction was amused disbelief, his low chuckle squashing Morgana’s enthusiasm flat like a flounder, but then a horrifyingly hopeful feeling had Goro almost choking on air. But-

 

Was this a trap?

 

_ It must be. _

 

So he refuses to continue talking about it, openly adamant in his reasoning on the outside, quivering with  _ something  _ that pleads him to reconsider on the inside.

 

It doesn’t stop Akechi from sometimes trying to touch the human through the gaps in the planks, allowing himself only the smallest of brushes against the soles of the other’s shoes, too scared to lose his comfortable hideout, maybe even an actual  _ home,  _ to reckless behaviour _. _

 

The unsuspecting human became a welcoming presence, more welcoming than anyone else has ever been before.

 

He told himself he was satisfied with that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira tries to not screw up too much. And again, big thanks to Amme for beta'ing.

Until he wasn’t satisfied. Which in turn has led to the present situation.

 

Leaning over a sleeping Akira, laid out on the planks on his side, Goro hovered with Morgana dangling from the tip of his tail, inches above water. The situation wasn’t ideal and it didn’t go according to the merman’s plan, but this would have to do.

 

In the end he got what he came for -  a proper look at the human. Over the past couple of days he was testing how much movement, noise and nudges he can get away with and not wake Akira up. Turned out that  he needed to keep singing- a lot.

 

It was bold, it was stupid, it was downright suicidal to get this close to a human without being able to immediately escape, but Goro was curious- so, so  _ curious _ and wanting to  _ see  _ that he drowned out his common sense because, well, what’s another mistake at this point? He was not meant to live long anyway. Goro figured he did well up until now, and it was enough.

 

He was spelling his death sentence with shy touches to Akira’s neck (no gills), ears (tiny and they bend!), hands (separate fingers) and finally, the mop of curly, black hair that allowed Goro to finally define the word ‘fluffy’. The necessity of multitasking was slightly taking away from the experience, but on the other hand, having to constantly focus on his song was also keeping the unease and trepidation at bay and his thoughts from running in circles. The actions were making him bolder too, bold enough to tug at the layers of fabric covering the human’s warm, but so much thinner than Goro’s, skin.

 

A prick of something small and sharp wedging itself in between tiny scales near his tailfin breaks Goro’s focus. Before he can remember Morgana is dangling from the tip of it, he looks up and behind himself sharply, flailing his tail in response to pain which unfortunately earns him even more claws piercing his skin. Much to Akechi’s annoyance, the cat manages to hold on and let out a shrill cry.

 

“I promised you wouldn’t have to swim your way back to shore only if you stayed out of my way, but you seem adamant about getting on my nerves!” The hiss-whisper resounds weirdly loudly with the absence of Akechi’s song. “Do you think I won’t follow up on my words?” To prove his point, Goro swings his tail yet again and raises it slightly, enough to get a clearly distraught Morgana within his line of sight. The creature’s ears are plastered to its head just like its limbs to the merman’s tail. A pleased expression makes its home on Akechi’s face and in turn it makes Morgana lose his temper, causing the cat’s fur to gradually bristle.

 

“Stop torturing me for fun, you overgrown fish!”

 

“Stop getting in my way, you overgrown leech,” mocks Goro in an airy tone.

 

“I’m not going to let you have your way with Akira!” Morgana is positively livid at this point, his tail swishing from side to side in agitation. “You mers are unpredictable and you hate humans! For all I know you could want to eat Akira or charm him to drown him, or something!” Goro’s bordering between being offended and amused, hiding the struggle behind a plastic smile. “Why are you still bothering us if you’re well enough to leave, anyway?!”

 

Faltering a little at that, Akechi’s smile slips. Of course he’d never be welcome, not even alongside such an uncanny duo as Akira and Morgana. The sting of the bared truth causes anger to flare up in him, but just for a second, and immediately reason takes over to prevent him from being consumed by something he came to terms with long ago. These two had each other; they weren’t the hopeless case of a misfit Goro was, clearly. He never stood a chance, so why is this bitter taste of disappointment so strong on his tongue?

 

He needs something to wash it off.

 

“On the contrary, you are a lot closer size-wise to what I usually eat.” Ah, superiority was such a rare treat. “So in your place I’d worry about myself more, in all honesty.” The legitimate look of fear on Morgana’s face makes Akechi snicker and seeing that the cat understands it’s being made fun of.

 

“You-!” They both startle at how loud the exclamation is, and Goro immediately turns his head to check if the human is still asleep, remembering the third party - who is luckily still lying on his side, eyes closed. Good. The merman faces Morgana again to continue their bickering, not noticing the change in breathing pattern of a very distressed, very confused and very much feigning sleep Akira, who’s trying to make sense of the situation he has found himself in.

 

Startled awake by Morgana making  _ a lot  _ of noise, his instincts scream at him to remain on the ground motionless. While unable to shake off the sleep-paralysis-like inability to move, maybe for the best, Akira manages to pry open an eye that was almost squished into the ground. The confirmation that at least he’s still on the pier but facing away from the apparent commotion does very little to calm his racing heart. But who is Morgana seemingly arguing with? His hearing isn’t too great with one ear plastered to the ground so it takes a minute or two to distinguish a quietly hissing and gurgling voice from the sound of the ocean’s waves. Akira’s heart skips a beat at the realization; could it be-

 

Something slamming into the planks hard enough to rattle the whole wooden construction makes Akira let out an involuntary, startled gasp. He knows he fucked up as his company instantly goes quiet.

 

The standstill lasts exactly half a second before all hell breaks loose; something large and tough slams Akira back down to the ground as soon as he tries to raise himself on his hands, knocking the wind out of him completely. His head spins from the impact and as through he wasn’t disoriented badly enough, a smaller and significantly more bony body collides with his lower back, making him groan and abandon any will to get up. It turns out to be Morgana, who immediately bounces back with nothing short of a battle cry towards the pier’s edge.

 

Ignoring the urge to stay prone and collect himself, Akira scrambles as fast as he can in his disheveled state. Getting his splayed arms below himself again to find admittedly shaky support and sit up proves to be unexpectedly difficult with intense vertigo threatening to topple him. But there’s no time to waste if wants to learn what happened when he was out of commission. Gulping, he turns his head in the direction of Morgana’s shouts so quickly, he almost loses his balance and definitely feels his spine cry out pitifully at the harsh treatment it’s endured over the last couple of minutes.

 

But whatever- or  _ who _ ever it was, is now gone, and the glimpse of a gigantic fish tail the color of freshly fallen snow vanishing in the ocean is the only proof Akira has towards his suspicions: whatever had been happening over the past couple weeks was not only out of the ordinary, but  _ extraordinary _ . The fish vanishing, the songs he heard before abruptly falling asleep out here on the pier, the shells and pearls he’d find once awake - all of it was most likely that... _ thing’s  _ doing. A supernatural and very much non-human thing.

 

Akira has to pinch himself to make sure he didn’t dream up all of it, pain doing nothing to what is probably the biggest grin of his life currently present on his face.

 

\---

 

Goro, on the other hand, wishes he was very much dreaming. Count on absolutely every single one of his most meticulously crafted plans to backfire. And why? Because he fell victim to his own feelings. Again.

 

Curiosity was supposed to be the demise of the likes of Morgana, not him. But in the end, it might just be the human that will bear the brunt of Goro’s mistakes; he couldn’t know the truth of Akechi’s existence and live, after all.

 

* * *

 

The next day, just as Akira shows up on the pier, Akechi begins execution of the plan he came up with overnight. 

 

He sings Akira to sleep and as soon as the human drops to the ground and Morgana, conveniently, into the water screaming and wailing (which might or might not have been Akechi’s fault), the merman starts dragging the unconscious boy towards the pier’s edge. Once they both plunge in a heap into the ocean, and Goro somewhat securely fastens Akira to his back, their destination is a semi-underwater cave at the bottom of a steep cliff-face, which Akechi found a while ago and was using as a secondary hideout since then. Just in case, this one was far away from any human settlements where no one will disrupt them and Akira won't be able to escape on his own. Where no one will find Akira if worst comes to worst.

 

Upon arrival, he deposits the human on the tiny, sandy shore of the cavern and hides below the water’s surface, impatiently waiting for Akira to wake up.

 

It doesn’t take long.

 

First thing Akira does as soon as he opens his eyes is call for Morgana in panic, having no idea where he is and only a vague one as to why was he brought here. Disoriented and scared, he glances around, taking in the dark and damp cave he has found himself in. But before he can fully assess the situation he feels eyes on him and jumps to his feet, as much as the low ceiling will allow, and stumbles back when the splashing sounds of something leaping from the water to land in his previous spot resonates in the air.

 

Akira brings his hands in front of his face to protect himself and tries to back away, but the slimy ground makes him slip and land on his butt. Only when a voice so similar to the one that haunted his dreams for the weeks resounds in the cave does he open his eyes with a gasp to look up and find its source.

 

What he witnesses is both breathtakingly beautiful and terrifying; If the books his parents used to read to him as a child were accurate in their descriptions, then the creature sitting at the edge of the water  had to be a mermaid. However, this particular mermaid had a lot more fins than he remembers from the illustrations, especially on its humanoid upper body - all fanned out making the creature look bigger, more threatening. Feral, powerful, intimidating.  _ Magnificent. _

 

The mermaid’s most striking feature- or, rather, the merman’s, given its similarities to his own body- had to be its  tail. It’s longer than Akira is tall and bone white in color, and has the human gawking in wide-eyed wonder. In the dim cave it seems to catch even the tiniest amount of light coming from the outside, revealing a golden sheen that reflects off the damp stone walls. The fin at the tip of the tail is almost see-through, the only bit of color being a blood red stripe bordering it. Akira finds himself unable to look away from it and without thinking he reaches out in its direction only to be stopped by a growl - a clear warning that breaks Akira’s trance. The buzzing haze in his brain should be alarming, should be telling him that something is seriously wrong, but it doesn’t and he allows it to make him sluggish and off-center.

 

But when Akira looks up and their eyes meet, the severity of his situation dawns on him  all at once the moment he sees something dark in the merman’s crimson eyes, instantly freezing the blood in his veins. While regaining his clarity of mind is reassuring, it doesn’t help that with the creature towering above him, the absence of that disarming lightheadedness effectively changes nothing. The piercing gaze has Akira perfectly still and afraid to even take a breath, convinced this is how a cornered mouse must feel. The only thing he can hope for is that the creature isn’t out for blood. Namely, his blood.

 

Still sitting, he shakily backs out to put as much distance between himself and the merman as possible, then slowly straightens his spine and squares his shoulders. All odds are stacked against him, but Akira hopes his demeanor won’t be read as aggression rather than as a challenge, since his movements were fluid and gradual enough to send a clear message: no threat, but he’s not backing down either while trying to match that unwavering, judgemental stare. If that’s it then Akira won’t go down without a fight, oh no.

 

Had Akira known Goro can smell the fear he’s  _ reeking  _ with, he probably wouldn’t bother with putting on that small act. Akechi commends the human’s bravery though, however foolish it is, when he can see the other shaking with each shallow inhale and exhale, the tremble even reaching his eyes. Goro takes that moment to absorb how different the human’s face is without those weird frames altering its features, liking how much sharper and more mature it looks, especially with that tense frown present on it. With his goal reached and the human knowing its, place Goro folds his shoulder fins, flattens the ones around his ears and relaxes his stance, immediately losing the apex predator vibe.

 

The change in demeanor has Akira reeling and his shoulders rise in preparation for  _ anything _ , but he remains otherwise unmoving, not trusting himself to keep from doing something stupid with how his hands are yet again itching to reach out and touch. At a loss for what to do, both allow the other to take in their appearances in silence.

 

Making use of the merman’s gaze starting to wander around his body, Akira goes for the same. The honey-brown, shoulder length hair is ordinary enough, but being weighed down by water it sticks to his face, revealing white fins with red radials instead of ears, about the length of Akira’s hand. The merman’s face, aside from having no business being this handsome, has no more features that immediately demand attention. The three slits on each side of the creature’s neck, most likely hiding gills, are a bit difficult to look at and Akira quickly skips further down.There’s quite a lot going on around the shoulder area; from the top extends the same white membrane making up the earlobes, forming some sort of a cape. The red radials make an appearance yet again, but they seem to be growing from behind the merman’s nape, maybe lower. They seem to have an ability to correspond to the merman’s mood; now that he’s calmer they are relaxed, extending down to his sides. One of them was badly torn up, he recalls, frowning. Akira’s sure there are even more surprises to be found along the merman’s spine, but it’s not like he can ask the other to just turn around.

 

As for Goro, eyeing the seemingly harmless human, he can’t see anything beyond the wet clothes sticking to the other’s frame. But he knows the tales of their cruelty and deceit like the back of his hand. Despite that he doesn’t feel the urge to kill, no matter how much he was trying to talk himself into it, especially now that the human is acting civil enough and shows no malicious intent. The troubles Akechi has had with humans were his own fault, and spilling innocent blood does not sit well with him. He will give the human the benefit of the doubt, but one wrong move-

 

The human chooses that moment to sneeze, startling them both with its volume. Akira, absolutely mortified and currently hiding his mouth and nose in his hands in the wake of an unsuccessful attempt to stifle it, wants to die on the spot. Forget any intentions the merman might have had; he will do it himself if he ends up scaring the other away. Once Goro recovers from jumping and his heart stopping for a second in fright, he narrows his eyes at the now completely still human who has just shrunk even more under his gaze. Goro would smirk and chuckle if this wasn’t getting beyond ridiculous.

 

But the silence stretches on and Akechi looks for something to say. The fact that he’s unsure if the human can even understand him has both his anxiety and curiosity spiking. He finally has the other to himself and yet, he has no idea what to do in his presence. He likes the fact that the other doesn't seem to want to attack him despite his previous. slightly over-the-top hostile display. Akira, with his hands still glued to his face, seems to be mesmerized by his tail; something Goro was often shunned for as its color, or rather a lack of it, made him stand out too much- hindering his and others’ ability to hunt. What he doesn't like is the uncertainty of what he should to with Akira now. The last thing he wants to do is to hurt somebody who, even if unknowingly and at first probably unwillingly, reached out to him and helped him.

 

But what Akechi wants even less is to end up dead or captured by putting even the tiniest amount of trust in someone who he should consider as his biggest enemy. All because he got a little too full of himself’ what a Goro classic... he can almost hear the members of his previous pod sneering at him. The last thing he wants is to give his father the satisfaction of outliving him; there’s that too. A small, broken knife he found not too long ago was gleaming ominously in the corner of his eye, hidden in between the rocks to his side. All he had to do was reach, swing at the human, never look behind and all his mistakes would be instantly corrected. So, what now...?

 

...An incoming migraine, apparently.

 

“Akira...” A tentative pronunciation of the human’s name slipping unconsciously from his lips has them both jumping to attention.

 

It’s Akira’s turn to be elated at the merman’s blunder judging from how he reels back immediately after uttering his name of all things. It could speak! He could speak? In an instant Akira forgets his fear and leans forward, wonder in his eyes and a hopeful smile on his face. And then the staring contest is on again, both not knowing how to address the fact that one: the merman can speak, and two:- it knows Akira’s name.

 

Uncharacteristically, it’s Akechi who breaks the eye contact first, dropping his gaze to the side, unnerved and pretending to be interested in the light reflecting off his tail  and dancing on the walls. He doesn’t notice he’s lost in thought until he hears a voice resounding in the cavern and a hand entering his line of vision. The harsh hiss that escapes Goro has the human back in his corner with both palms forward in front of his chest in attempt to calm the merman down. A beat of tense silence stretches between them and Akechi relents.

 

“Could you repeat that?” He softens his voice as well, as there’s no use in pretending that none of them heard the merman talking anymore. And so Goro acknowledges the human’s attempt to communicate as he now sits casually cross-legged.

 

“Are you alright?” Is what leaves Akira’s mouth. 

 

_ What? _ Akechi blinks, dumbstruck. 

 

“I mean, I’m also curious as to why you brought me here and finally decided to show up but hey, I’m not going to complain. Don't think I’ve ever seen someone as pretty as you.” The human smirks, but his eyes remain kind and Akechi finds himself both flustered and irritated by Akira’s words. Does he have no shame? What does he even mean by that?

 

“I’m asking because I noticed one of the fins, I guess, on your back is pretty badly torn. Did something attack you? Was it why you were stealing my fish? You should have come out sooner if you were hurt.” Akira hopes to God his nervous rant doesn’t anger the silent merman, whose eyebrows are coming closer to merging from bewilderment with each passing second.

 

_ I’m going to hurt you if you don’t stop asking questions.  _ Akechi can’t decide if he wants to spare the human the embarrassment and just end his life here and now, with every word leaving the other’s mouth taunting him to finally do it... or perhaps he should prolong Akira’s suffering. His father would laugh at how naive he still is. On the other hand, the human didn’t seem to be lying. Genuine concern and interest in Goro as a person? Unheard of. Not ever since his mother was no longer in the picture.

 

It didn't help that Akira was very easy on the eyes, especially now that he wasn't wearing as many layers, with most of them shed in a wet pile to his side. What was left was clinging to his frame and his slim build was rather appealing. Clothing was a weird concept to Akechi, but so were constant changes in weather and sudden gusts of chilly wind, so he could understand that. Goro was still infinitely curious about the human’s delightfully dark and fluffy looking hair, now even puffier and curlier as it starts to dry- so much different from his own boring locks, which get unpleasantly wavy when drying. But he didn't dare reach out since he deterred Akira from doing the same earlier. He needed to get himself and this situation under control.

 

Akira, who was trying to mask his own nervousness with questions, was also having a hard time fighting the urge to reach out and touch the merman again, if only to make sure the other actually exists and was not just another dream. But he didn't dare to do so in fear of scaring the creature away. He can clearly see the other is struggling with something and needs space. The merman also had pretty scary claws that Akira didn’t feel like getting acquainted with, and also wasn't a scrawny village boy- far from it, actually- unlike Akira, who hopes he’s not too obviously following the stray droplets of water racing one another down the toned chest and stomach of the handsome sea creature.

 

It’s not weird; those parts look human enough. If you overlook the fins, that is. Akira could definitely overlook them.

 

Forcing himself to focus on the merman’s torn expression and those downcast blood-colored eyes instead, Akira is happy that he managed to pull his head out of the gutter. For now. Looking at those long lashes didn’t do him any favors either but it was more socially acceptable, at least by human standards. More respectful. He just hoped this applied to the merkind too. Hell if he knew anything about merpeople customs; he didn't know they existed until half an hour ago. With that, Akira feels justified in staring.

 

The merman opens and closes his mouth a couple of times- Akira wasn’t watching unblinkingly,  _ no way _ \- before speaking.

 

“If anything, I wanted to thank you for sharing your food with me and apologize for being an inconvenience.” Akechi decides Akira deserves to at least know he appreciates the gesture. “I wasn't able to hunt on my own at the time, but that’s hardly an excuse to steal.” Being indebted to a human feels degrading but Goro prides himself in his manners. He bows his head slightly and quickly looks up to gauge the human’s reaction.

 

Akira, completely taken aback by the light but slightly raspy voice of the creature, needs a second, or five, to realise he’s being spoken to.

 

“Ah, so it was you!” The merman visibly cringes at Akira’s outburst, who chides himself for sounding so eager and tries to reign in his excitement. “Um, yeah, you’re welcome. I don't mind sharing; other than Morgana I have no one else to…” Akira doesn't finish the sentence and just shrugs, turning away. Out of habit he tries to push his glasses up his nose, only to remember they are not there.

 

Silence falls over them again as they look everywhere but at one another, unsure of what to do. Akira busies himself observing the slowly wagging tip of the merman's tail, his new favorite pastime.

 

Akechi is swift to blame his lapse in better judgement on being out of the water for so long. His throat and skin becoming uncomfortably dry doesn’t improve his mood either. Without giving it a second thought, he slides his tail into the ocean, its coldness already clearing his mind. As he’s about to submerge himself fully, Akira startles and launches himself at him with a shout.

 

“Hey, don't leave me here!”

 

The impact almost sends them both into the water. Akira ends up lying on his stomach on the ground, arms encircling akechi’s neck with the merman’s head uncomfortably pressed into Akira’s shoulder. Akechi sees red.

 

“Let go of me! I’m not going anywhere! I need water to live, you human trash!” He shouts straight into Akira’s ear and tries to set himself free which only prompts Akira to grab at his shoulder fins and  _ squeeze. _ Livid, Akechi shrieks and in retaliation sinks his teeth in Akira's shoulder and throws his whole body back, pulling them both underwater.

 

Before Akira can even react to two rows of teeth closing around his shoulder, finding himself underwater takes precedence. The saltwater immediately blinds him, filling his ears with a deafening roar; his brain screams to preserve air and instead of fighting back, the human clings even tighter to what has pulled him under. He hopes he can goad to his grandparents that he touched a merman when, probably very soon, he meets them in heaven.

 

It’s likely only a couple of seconds but Goro comes back to his senses as soon as he registers the metallic taste of blood on his tongue and lets his jaw go slack. At that the human is frantically pushing away from him and clumsily kicking his legs in all directions, clearly in an attempt to reach the surface, but with a single powerful swipe of his tail Akechi has them both back on land in a blink of an eye, sprawled in a heap.

 

Before Akira can even comprehend being able to breathe again, Akechi is hovering above him, tearing at his shirt to see how bad the bite wound is. Akira, in shock and very much on autopilot, just scrambles away as far away as he can, curls into himself and clutches the injured shoulder. His heavy breaths fill the air.

 

While the punctures aren’t deep, the sheer amount of them and the freely flowing blood makes the sight rather gruesome. Not to mention  _ painful. _

 

Akira takes a couple more ragged breaths to calm himself and start thinking clearly again. In the meantime he’s boring eyes into Akechi, who just stands there thrown off kilter and looking very uncertain, with a hand to his chest.

 

Akira turns his attention to the injury, trying to move his shoulder, and winces. This is bad. He won’t be able to wrap it even in a makeshift dressing without help.

 

Akira glances in the direction of the merman, weighing his options and picks up a previously discarded hoodie from the ground.

 

“Can you help me wrap it around my shoulder? I’d prefer not to bleed out in the middle of nowhere.” There’s only a little bit of bite in Akira’s voice. There could have been more but he decides to direct that energy into getting rid of his torn and soaked shirt. The merman clearly startles.

 

“Yes! Yes of course, please stay where you are so the bleeding won’t worsen.” Akira holds his breath as Akechi clumsily starts hopping in his direction, alternating between putting his palms on the ground and swinging the weight of his tail forward, reminding Akira of a beached seal. The mental image makes him let out a small snort that has the merman pausing upon hearing it. Akechi seems to catch on as he gives Akira a nonplussed look but continues.

 

“I’m terribly sorry.” Goro murmurs once he gets within touching distance. “I don’t know what possessed me to do it.”

 

Akira hums lightly, as he marvels at this new side of the merman. Accommodating, eager to please. What a combination with what he has seen before. Also? He will take being bitten any day to have the merman this close. As they work on dressing the wound, both are pretending they are not stealing glances at one another.

 

“So, yeah, I’m happy I could finally meet you, anyway.” The human says it so quietly that, had they not been so close, Akechi wouldn’t hear a thing. “Even if it’s more of a kidnapping, hah. Worth it anyway, hope it will scar too so that I’ll know all of this actually happened.” Akira grins at that but the smile falls almost immediately once he realises something.

 

”This is not the only time I will be able to see you, right?” The hope in the human's voice makes Goro pause and turn away to avoid responding to a question they both know the answer to. He busies himself with scraps of material with renewed vigour to mask his shaking hands.

 

Once the makeshift dressing is secured over the wound, the only words they exchange are Akira’s instructions and Akechi’s apology for nicking him with his claw once. The human doesn't dare to touch him any more than necessary, but Akechi knows not to trust the human.

 

Akira pokes at their work once they are done.

“As long as your bite isn't poisonous I should be fine, I guess?” He takes a deep, steadying breath. Now that the dust has settled down somewhat, the chill and dampness of the cave is starting to get to him. He wants to leave this place. “How am I going to explain such a bizarre injury back home…” 

 

A small laugh escapes Akira but the way it jostles his upper body makes him wince. Serves him right. Akechi is not amused one bit.

 

“I am in no way a sea snake and as such, I do not produce any lethal toxins, so you have nothing to worry about.” Akechi hisses out the words, but he does worry about the blood already soaking through the bandage.

 

“Could have fooled me,” Akira mutters under his breath, recalling the feeling of four sharp points digging themselves especially deeply into his shoulder. He doesn't look at the merman, knowing there’s an offended expression on his face, pretending to be checking on the dressing.

 

Akechi lightly smacks his tail on the ground in irritation but chooses to ignore the comment.

 

“We need to get you out of here.”  _ Or leave you to bleed dry. _ “Morgana should be able to take care of the wound just fine, since he seemed to have some rather potent healing abilities…” Akechi mutters under his breath, still eyeing the damage he has inflicted.

 

“Healing? Morgana? What?” Akira tears his eyes away from his shoulder, disbelief apparent in his expression.

 

“I think you might learn something interesting about your companion once we see him again.” Akechi chooses to be evasive to speed up the conversation. “The sooner we come back to shore, the better. Come closer.” Akechi beckons him, but Akira doesn't look convinced. “I’d rather not put you to sleep injured but I’ll do it if I have to.”

 

The human perks up at that.

 

“Can I listen to you sing without passing out?” Akira’s eyes light up and Goro grimaces.

 

“Unlikely, but I’m not sure; I would rather not test that right now either.”

 

“Shame, you have the nicest singing voice I’ve ever heard.” The human’s shoulders drop in disappointment and he immediately regrets it as a spike of pain makes him gasp and tense. He looks pale. Meanwhile, Goro’s cheeks redden.

 

“Stop making it more difficult, please.”

 

“I’ll come over only if you let me touch your tail.” Akira hopes mermaids don't use that as a euphemism the way humans do. “I’d accept it as an apology for getting me in this mess.”

Goro immediately puffs all of his fins in a silent display of displeasure at the request. “I won't ask ever again. Promise.” It doesn’t stop him from wishing there would be an ‘again’ in the future. Akira’s eyes are wide and pleading. He deserves as much for going through everything this day threw at him, right?

 

In the end, Goro agrees, and they go back to shore, Akechi threatening to drown Akira only once. And as Morgana, a  _ talking _ Morgana, distracts the human, Goro takes this opportunity to slip away quietly.

 

Only later when Akira turns to face the ocean does he realize he never got to learn the merman’s name.

 

* * *

 

There’s no sign of the merman for the next couple of days.

 

The fish Akira sets aside remain untouched. He doesn’t randomly fall asleep, and Morgana’s no longer pacing around the pier’s edge.

 

Instead, his extraordinary cat friend is forced to listen to his sorrows and watch him jump and sulk at each strong rattle of the wooden beams or especially noisy waves crashing into the pier in hopes that they would bring the merman with them. They don’t. 

 

Akira finds comfort in humming the couple notes he remembers hearing each time before falling asleep out of the blue, presumably each time the merman visited. Why did he feel the need to hide for so long? Why was he so distrusting? Was the instinct to avoid humans similar to an animal’s? Or was it because of whatever transpired that led to the torn fin on his shoulder? It’s embarrassing how much the merman is on his mind.

 

Akira’s musing is interrupted when he realizes that he can still hear the song he’d been humming, and stopped a while ago, when he got lost in thought.

 

The implication makes him abruptly sit up straight and frantically look around, only to remember he should probably be looking for the source of the voice below the pier. Some of the gaps between the planks are wide enough to peek through them and Akira dives for one such gap, landing on his belly, ignoring the potential splinters as he presses his face into the ground.

 

Sure enough, there are those unmistakable red eyes peering at him as the merman’s head is barely peeking out of the water, unphased by the waves constantly buffeting it. The uncertainty gleaming in those eyes is quickly turning into wariness, his soft expression hardening slightly and brows furrowing as the merman backs out a bit under Akira’s passive gaze.

 

They stare at each other for a couple of seconds, gauging each other’s reactions. Akira curses how most of his face is obscured and tries to come up with anything that could relay his intentions to the merman. He knows his words alone won't be enough and he doesn't trust his traitorous tongue to do the job either.

 

Goro keeps his eyes trained on the human and his antics, from the wistful humming at first to now looking like he wanted to fit through the gaps in the planks once he realised Akechi is back. There was wonder, relief, and maybe even joy swimming is that single eye gazing at Goro from above. Of course a lowly human would be happy to see someone as extraordinary as himself, the embodiment of the ocean’s power and grace. Even the most pitiful one was a sight to behold.

 

But the human pulls back then and Goro jerks forward as he no longer controls the human’s attention, and by extension the whole situation, only for the half obscured face to be replaced by an arm slowly but surely sneaking through the gaps. Palm open and outstretched, the human is reaching out to him but there’s no demand in it, no intent to hurt. A show of trust, then? A placating gesture like the kind shown towards a scared animal?

 

An unnecessarily loud snarl rips itself from Goro’s throat at the thought of being likened to a creature that needs to be pacified to suit a human’s needs. There’s a gasp and a visible flinch, the hand jerking away from him, which fills Goro with glee, but it doesn’t retract and almost immediately the fingers are outstretched towards him again.

 

The audacity! But like a match thrown into a cup of water, Goro’s anger flares up and dies down a second later when the human starts clumsily humming his song again. Just the first couple of notes make Goro relax and instinctively sing along for a couple of notes before he catches himself. Why is the human trying so hard? Why he allowing the human to get to him so much? 

 

They both go quiet and a tense silence fills the air instead. Akira wishes he could see the merman if only to confirm he’s still there, otherwise he might have to explain why is he sticking his hand in between the planks if Morgana wakes anytime soon. He closes his eyes and rests his forehead on the ground with a sigh, his neck and arm tired from being in such uncomfortable positions for so long.

 

A gentle, tentative touch of cold fingers on the center of his open palm immediately chases all the complaints away, even if they draw back before Akira can react. Testing the waters, if anything. Still, there’s a happy flutter in Akira’s chest, so he focuses on that and waits. Soon, he’s rewarded with a whole palm being laid on top of his; the touch is still light and while the webbed hand is definitely not resting fully as opposed to  hovering, Akira is elated.

 

Pushing his luck, he slightly tightens his fingers around the merman’s and immediately there’s a warning issued in the form of claws putting firmer pressure on the delicate skin of Akira’s wrist. The human doesn’t relent though and Goro digs them further, to the point of almost breaking the skin, but nothing changes yet again. The human is steadfast and showing no signs of intimidation. Not flinching, not trembling.

 

Goro would be a lot less impressed if he knew Akira was screaming internally all this time. He needs to do something before he reaches critical mass.

 

“What’s your name?” Okay, could have been worse, even if the merman withdraws his hand hastily. Akira decides to do the same and exchanges the ability to touch for the ability to see.

 

The merman is right below him this time and Akira can only see the top of the other’s head, the tips of his hair dancing along with the movement of the water. The urge to reach out and touch is here again, but this time it might actually end with a severed limb so Akira reigns himself in to the best of his ability and waits. The ‘wait and see’ tactic worked well so far, so patience seemed to be a good approach.

 

“Why do you ask?” There we go. The merman doesn’t look up to face Akira though and only peers up sideways from below his lashes. Akira’s heart skips and jumps.

 

“I’d like to put a name to such a pretty face.” The merman sharply jerks up his head to look Akira fully in the eyes, and the murder in them has the human glad for the bunch of tough wood separating them.

 

“I’m joking, I’m joking.” Oh, the merman absolutely doesn’t believe him at all. “But you seem to know my name. I think it’s kinda rude I don’t know yours.” This is better; now he seems to be considering it.

 

Goro looks down again to weigh his options. There’s no harm in the human knowing his name. Worse mistakes have been made. But giving it away would be like admitting defeat and Akechi is not keen on losing what little dignity he has left. It wouldn’t be terrible, and withholding such worthless information is beyond petty. But...

 

“It’s Akechi...Akechi Goro,” he mumbles without looking up. There, it wasn’t that bad.

 

“Nice to meet you then, Akechi. I’m Kurusu Akira.” The human’s tone is light and happy, not a trace of condescending or gloating tone in it. Goro looks up, surprised, and when their eyes meet he only sees good-natured mirth in Akira’s before his hand is again making its way down in Akechi’s direction. The merman eyes it suspiciously and makes no move to address it in any way.

 

“It’s customary to shake hands upon introduction. I don’t know any merpeople practices but that’s kinda what humans do.” He’s rambling in nerves again. “It’s ok if you don’t want to-”

 

Before Akira can finish the sentence and retract his hand Goro meets it with his own, gripping it with just a little too much force, and shakes it as per the human’s instruction.

 

“Ow! Ow- I know I might have deserved it, but come on…” Akira complains but squeezes back as strongly as he can in his prone position, claws and splinters be damned.

 

They stay like that holding hands, both refusing to be the one to let go first until Morgana does wake up after a particularly long and loud groan from Akira. The cat makes enough ruckus for them to call it a draw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to split the work into 4 chapters so that they'd be roughly the same size. Expect chapter 3 on friday/saturday.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we're earning that M rating, boys.

Within a couple of weeks, wariness turns into curiosity, which turns into the tiniest displays of casual affection. 

 

Once Akechi abandons his self-imposed exile, slowly coming to terms with Akira’s company not being that bad, he goes back to ‘visiting’ on daily basis again. They talk and learn about each other; they have fishing competitions (Akira’s never won a single one mainly because Goro would scare all the fish away, so now they just bet on how long will it take for both of them to catch a fish of a certain weight or length); but most of all, they just spend time together in comfortable silence, keeping the loneliness at bay.

  
  


*

  
  


If it’s raining, Akira stays after dark. Akechi has agreed to come out of the water for short periods of time in such weather (after an incident of Akira actually falling asleep on his own and Akechi coming out of the water because he was worried the human would get sick lying in the incoming downpour). Goro insists it’s because he enjoys the sensation of the rain of his skin and the fact that he can stay on land longer thanks to the moisture. Akira agrees with a smile, but suspects it’s a bit more than that with how close to him the merman always is.

  
  


*

  
  


More often than not Akira would bring human food for Goro to try - fruits, vegetables, sweets (simple, sugar based candies have Goro’s eyes lighting up with wonder), meats and the like.

 

His favorite turned out to be plain coffee, of all things - when Akira had brought some for himself, its smell had Goro in his personal space within seconds of opening the thermos, only for the merman to scald his tongue on it. Apparently, warm foods were the one thing Akechi had an aversion to. There’s no need for the merman to eat anything that’s not ocean-temperature, after all. But once the coffee has cooled down, Goro unapologetically gulps it all down by himself saying that Akira can easily get more later.

 

The human doesn’t argue anymore and just sits back to watch with an amused smile, observing how much Akechi is enjoying the bitter drink, trying to stuff his tongue into the bottle to get to the very last drop when he thinks Akira isn’t looking.

  
  


*

  
  


In exchange for food, Akechi guts and descales the fish Akira takes back with him to the city. He does it with the speed and grace of a professional sushi chef, unphased by the smell and sight, efficient and clean. When Akira jokes about this, Goro is surprised to learn that humans eat raw fish as well- thus, the next day’s treat is a freshly prepared selection of various fish from the best restaurants in town.

 

Unsurprisingly, Goro can tell each of them apart just from the smell, aside from the few species that came from outside of Japan or were caught in sweet waters. But the most interest was expressed towards the bluefin tuna slices, ones Goro had to fight Morgana for, since it never crossed his mind humans could ever catch it casually for food.

 

For merfolk, tuna hunting was reserved for a special occasion - the final stages of courting.

 

“Mer couples hunt bluefin tuna to test their strength and cooperation skills, to see if they work and communicate together well enough to catch such a large prey.” Goro’s explanation is extensive as always. “It’s a rare and very private affair, supposed to test the bond and the potential value as a mate to its fullest.” Goro offhandedly explains without much enthusiasm in his voice, not even looking up from the plate as he’s picking another piece of sushi to eat.

 

The intensity of Akira’s gaze, and the prickle it’s been causing at the back of his neck, become gradually impossible to ignore. Suddenly he’s wondering why he felt the need to divulge such intimate traditions to the human. It’s not like he meant anything of the sort just because that fish happened to be part of the selection… after all, how could he have known? The awkward silence eats away at Goro to an unbearable degree, until it finally makes him chance a look over to his companion. Their eyes meet and the glint in Akira’s eyes is so clear and bright, as through they were unobscured by his glasses. The unwavering stare somehow makes Goro more uncomfortable, his shoulders slightly rising.

 

“I hope my explanation was sufficient?” He tries to get rid of the feeling by making the conversation less one-sided. Both the pleasant lilt of his voice and the soft smile he chooses to wear are supposed to throw Akira off his back, but the increasingly awkward silence serves only to further assure Goro that this tactic no longer works. Akira seems to be taking his time thinking about something, pushing the glasses up his nose slightly so that this time the glare actually hides his eyes, before answering vaguely: “Yeah, yeah, just fine.” The words leave Goro puzzled by the sudden dismissal, but it only has him dreading what Akira will come up with the next time the topic is inevitably brought up again.

  
  


*

  
  


With time, their conversations grow more personal - about their lives, about their experiences...the pasts they want to leave behind, the unfulfilling present, and their uncertain futures.

 

The bond they’ve formed by now only grows stronger with each reveal of how the mer pods would reject Goro based only on his tail color, how his mother died protecting him from predators, how he had to fend for himself since then; with how Akira was almost framed for assault, how the townsfolk distanced themselves from him despite being proven innocent, how he wants to move out as soon as possible.

 

For Goro, the completely new feeling of his fears and pain being taken seriously invokes such lightness in his body it almost feels like he can breathe easier- like there’s more space in his chest to do so. That freed spot seems to be readily occupied by his heart each time Akira sits down next to him, willingly letting Akechi talk his ear off while always being attentive and offering his own insight or jokes, depending on what the situation called for.

 

For Akira, at first it was a bit overwhelming how readily Akechi unloaded his emotional baggage on him, making his silence more often a stunned or troubled one rather than a patient one. Akira knew he was easy to talk to, many people have told him that before, but Goro took his oversharing tendencies to the extreme, making their conversations long and emotionally charged, often leaving them both exhausted by the end of the day. Akira didn’t see it as a downside though; the chance to spend time with the merman, to listen to his _ very _ pleasant voice with an additional perk of Goro being a lot more receptive to casual touch, was more than rewarding in itself. Akechi would always get defensive when Akira pointed that out, saying it’s because he finds it surprisingly grounding, easier to focus (entirely untrue since there isn’t a better way for Goro to lose his train of thought than to have the tips of his shoulder fins fiddled with).

 

They’d also run this long simply because they couldn’t engage in those conversations too often. Having Morgana listening to them talk, more often than not, and the constant need to make sure they were indeed alone on the pier didn’t favor heart-to-hearts. Having no privacy was especially irritating to Akechi who, when they’d get interrupted, would gurgle out barely audible curses from below the pier at their unwelcome guests. This often left Akira struggling not to laugh at his childish behaviour. Every now and then someone from the city would remember about the old pier and come for either a peaceful stroll or to bother Akira along the way.

 

On one such day, after they’re finally left alone, Akira mentions the cavern Akechi brought them to for their first ‘date’. It’s meant to be a joke but somehow Goro isn’t objecting, which leaves them both trying to hide the slight blush dusting their cheeks from each other. It takes a couple of days for them to actually follow up on the idea, but after Akechi off-handedly mentioning he will have to move somewhere warmer for the winter and leaving Akira with the uncomfortable thought of a  _ deadline,  _ he pushes for relocating to the cavern, insisting they are old enough and don’t need Morgana as a chaperone. 

 

\---

 

“Steal me away to your land, oh my Atlantis prince~” sing-songs Akira as he’s latching onto Goro’s upper back upon dropping down to the water.

 

“Had I been any kind of royalty I’d not be acting as a means of transportation for an uncouth human, don’t you think?” Had Akira not known Goro as well as he does, the slight press of claws on his forearm would be the only indication of the other being annoyed by his remark, but since he does, it’s that sharp tongue and saccharine tone which pose the real threat.

 

“Ow... glad you’re just a good old ordinary Goro then, don’t you agree?” Akira parrots the merman’s tone to hide the slight waver in his own voice, which probably resulted from the  recent switch to using their first names. All in all, it earns him getting dunked underwater. Goro doesn’t hesitate to blame Akira for distracting him and in turn not noticing an incoming wave, because of course it’s not his fault Akira has ended up with water up his nose.

 

“Yeah, sure, honey,” he grumbles out, choosing that particular pet name- another treat the merman discovered a fondness for- knowing full well it will fluster Goro. But when it very much brings the intended effect, Akechi somehow, in true fish manner, slips out from Akira’s hold leaving the human only slightly alarmed and fully prepared for Goro’s next move. And surely, not a second later there’s a tailfin emerging just barely visible in the corner of his eye, with a clear intention of smacking him over the head. Ducking underwater Akira expertly dodges it and immediately kicks his legs to propel himself forward, grasping for the powerful appendage to latch onto it, exactly like he knows Goro hates. He’s being dragged forward before he can even brace for it, Akechi apparently skipping the thrashing around in attempt to shake him off part, going immediately to darting in whatever direction he feels like at full speed.

 

Akira only wishes he could laugh his heart out, so all that exhilitarion and excitement, the adrenaline that has his blood pumping like nothing else and all the new things Goro has him feeling for the first time in his life, could immediately find an outlet. Instead, he tightens his hold on Goro’s tail and grins like a madman into the scales.

 

While in the wake of their underwater horseplay Akira’s lung capacity has definitely increased (and fear of drowning decreased), he’s still hoping Goro will have mercy and let him go back above water sooner than later.

 

\---

  
  


It takes a bit longer than it usually does.

 

When Akira resurfaces he’s a drowned, sputtering mess, arms flailing until they find purchase on Goro’s front, who in a rare display of compassion, acts as a lifebuoy for the human too busy with theatrics to rub water out of his eyes- completely relying on the merman to get him to safety.

 

They are not too far from the cavern so Goro just hauls his deadweight of a...friend to the shore. While Akira is still in progress of reacquainting himself with oxygen, Akechi takes a couple of deep breaths himself to calm his own nerves. This seems to be another step in their gradually progressing relationship and he’s not sure if he’s okay with the direction it appears to be heading.

 

On the other hand, diving head-first into danger is something the human seems to live by, testament of the trust he seems to be putting in a creature he should be avoiding at all costs, and so Goro doesn’t expect his concerns to be taken seriously. Deciding not to say anything with a huff he flops down on his belly next to Akira, who by now resembles a human only a bit more than a drowned rat, but still lies on his back just like Akechi has left him. His hands are curled on his chest giving the impression of a dead animal. They lie in silence for only a moment, as that’s how long it takes for Akira to start voicing his displeasure at earlier treatment.

 

“Not even gonna check if I’m breathing? What if I needed CPR after you nearly drowned me, huh?” The mock hurt in Akira’s voice makes Goro wonder why exactly he hadn’t done just that.

 

“It’s your own fault for not having any self-preservation instincts.” Akechi doesn’t even look in Akira’s direction, muttering the counter into his folded hands.

 

“Takes one to know one.”

 

Before Akira can turn the conversation even more against Goro, the merman decides to change the topic. 

 

“That abbreviation you used earlier... what does it mean?” He’s always eager to learn something new about the above water world, and human customs and practices are among his favorite.

 

“Oh, the CPR? It’s an emergency first-aid procedure for when somebody’s not breathing and their heart stops. Meant to keep the blood circulating in the heart and brain by pressing on the chest repeatedly.” Akira tries to remember bits and pieces from class. “But I guess I had something more along the lines of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.” Goro immediately dislikes the implication. ”You basically put your mouth to somebody else’s and blow air into their lungs.” Akira raises his arms perpendicular to ground and makes some vague shapes in the air with them.”You know what else they call it?”

 

“Do tell.” Goro goes for the most flat and uninterested tone he can, knowing he will regret letting Akira talk so much.

 

“The kiss of life.”

 

With a swing of his hands Akira heaves himself up to sitting position, bursting into laughter at the comical widening of the merman’s eyes, as Goro tries to process the information with a confused frown on his face.

 

“A life-saving measure that humans reduce to displays of physical attraction, how typical.” Goro turns to his side, looking and sounding unimpressed.

 

“Oh come on, would it kill you to be a little more romantic?”

 

With a roll of his eyes and hips Akechi turns his back to Akira, deciding to cut the conversation right there and then. But Akira wouldn’t be himself if he respected that as he slides up to the merman and drapes his upper body over Goro’s side.

 

“Don’t be angry at me for answering your questions.” That snicker makes Goro’s blood boil.

 

“I’m not angry, I’m-”

 

“Sad and repressed, I know and I feel it.” With the words come hands sneaking around Akechi’s shoulders, Akira wisely keeping a safe distance from his back knowing well the sharp points of radials on the dorsal fin are not for show. ”Please don’t poke me in the stomach.” Asking for mercy might earn him a second more to escape so it’s usually worth it.

 

“It won’t be my fault if it’s in self-defense.”

 

“Defense from what, you dummy? You’re the apex predator here and-”

 

All air from Akira’s lungs escapes at once as his back is slammed against the ground and Goro, a  _ furious _ Goro, reverses their positions to pin the human below himself, his face hovering maybe an inch or two above Akira, a hand on his throat.

 

“I believe I asked about your self-preservation instincts before.” Akira doesn’t think he’s ever heard Goro drop his voice this low. “Do not test my patience. If you know what’s good for you.” The words echo in the empty cavern, but Akira can only hear the rush of blood in his ears. He’s never actually seen Goro snap and react to teasing this way, not this badly. The threat seems to be genuine too, with how every single fin on Akechi’s body is fanned out and trembling from being fully stretched. Akira feels small, and maybe actually a bit scared, his brain scrambling to find a way to resolve this situation and avoid bloodshed.

 

“Your breath smells like fish.” Maybe Goro was right, when he said his brain is the size of a pearl that one time. “Good thing I like fish.” He grins but more in nerves than mirth, seeing that his attempt was for nothing. Akira only hopes when Akechi is done with him Morgana will still be able to patch him up.

 

Somehow, Goro tenses even more and his pupils turn to  _ actual slits _ . Akira squeezes his eyes and in his head apologizes to his parents one last time, bracing for a strike-

 

-that never comes. Instead the weight lifts from his body and neck and before he has the chance to open his mouth, Goro is gone.

 

\---

 

By the time Akechi is back, Akira is shivering from cold and fear of being left alone who knows how far away from home.

 

He’s so relieved to see the merman again, he doesn’t comment on the apology from the other or the fact that he’s allowed to throw his hands around Goro and cling to him wordlessly.

 

They come back to the pier in silence and the cold Akira suffers from afterwards lasts for almost a week.

  
  


*

  
  


Miraculously, there are also times when Akira manages to get Goro to loosen up, instead of driving him to screaming bloody murder.

 

Days later, when they finally gather enough courage to visit the cavern again (neither of them commenting on Morgana’s questions regarding what happened there to suddenly put their perfect plan on hold), they have a serious talk. Or, rather, attempt to. 

 

\---

 

When Akira rubs the water out of his eyes, he notices that strewn across the cave’s floor and among the rocks there is... a bunch of  _ junk.  _ At the very back there’s a pile of wood, a pile of faded plastic things in various shapes and sizes, a whole selection of glass bottles, scraps of materials and who knows what else. Upon further inspection, between the cracked rocks lie innocently glinting coins and pieces of metal, seashells upon seashells, some pearls, ambers, colorful stones and  _ even more glass. _ At least it’s the kind softened by sand and water so Akira doesn’t worry too much about getting stabbed. Still, it raises so many questions.

 

“You wanted to talk?” Goro breaks him out of his confused staring, completely unbothered by the mess.

 

“What happened here?” Akira decides that the mess takes precedence, and gestures at the vast selection of trash. He’s cautious not to say that out loud, in case the collection has some significance to Akechi.

 

The merman tilts his head and furrows his brows as through he didn’t understand the question, before realisation dawns on his face.  _ Cute _ . “Ah, all of this? Just some things that have caught my eye.” Akira’s eyebrows proceed to vanish into his hairline. 

 

“Are all mermen hoarders?” Or is it some sort of a coping mechanism? Should he be worried?

 

“Hoarders…?” Akechi slowly repeats, appearing to genuinely not understand the question.

 

“Nevermind.” With a wave of his hand Akira hopes to dismiss the topic. Luckily, Akechi doesn’t press, even if he frowns.

 

As if feeling the need to validate himself, Goro proceeds to dig up some of his favorite items, or the ones he doesn’t understand the use of, hoping Akira can explain. At some point it becomes apparent both of them are stalling, and try as they might, they run out of junk to talk about.

 

A beat of silence where they look everywhere but at one another ends with Goro straightening up to sit as properly as somebody with a gigantic tail can.

 

“Why are you like this,” is softly uttered by the merman, sounding almost rhetorical.

 

“Like what?”

 

“...Trusting. Open.” Goro doesn’t fall for Akira’s attempt to rile him up by playing dumb. The human seems to get the message and his expression falls.

 

“You’re fun, and interesting. And not just because you have a tail instead of legs.” Akira goes to play with his fringe to give himself a bit more time to think. “You just have that effect on me... can’t help it if I’m drawn to you.” He looks up and shrugs, face carefully blank.

 

“An effect on you…” Goro is the one to turn away this time.

 

“Is that bad?” Akira’s nervousness is betrayed by how fast he replies.

 

Instead of answering, Akechi goes for an explanation himself. “From what I understood, you humans attribute to merfolk...the ability to charm and lure humans away to danger.” Akira only nods. “That’s not entirely untrue.”

 

“Oh.” Oh, indeed. “And?” Goro has to physically restrain himself. Is Akira really not seeing the point? With a huff he continues.

 

“The ‘draw’ as you said...might be slightly influenced by my presence.” Ingenuine, faked, induced. “I don’t always control it, even if using this ability requires me to be conscious of it.” Goro only hopes this was sufficient for Akira to understand what is being implied. It seems to be as he nods a couple of times to himself.

 

“Does it extend to when I’m away from you?”

 

“No, it’s doesn’t work like that.”

 

“Then I can say that the only things that have ever swayed me were your looks and you just being you.” He claps his hands and says it in such a deadpan voice, so full of conviction, it nearly gives Goro whiplash.

 

“ _ Excuse me _ ?”

 

“You’re able to influence humans to more or less lose control.” Goro nods. “You’re afraid it changes the way I feel about you, that I’m too trusting or whatever.” Another nod. “From what I understand, you haven’t and don’t want to use it on me.” Goro stops mid-nod.

 

“Only a little bit when I brought you here for the first time,” he admits reluctantly and hides his face in his shoulder. “To make sure I was in control.” 

 

“Ah, that explains a lot. Anyway, I consider the case closed.” Akira just sits there with a lopsided smile on his face, saying all of that the same way he’d talk about breakfast or the weather or whatever other completely mundane thing. He can see his words have caught Akechi completely off-guard, that wide-eyed stare being a clear indication of it, and gives the merman a moment to collect himself.

 

“I don’t have a right to be angry with you for that,” Akira adds after a moment. “And it doesn’t change anything.”

 

Goro looks like he almost believes him.

  
  


*

  
  


Turns out coming to terms with your differences works wonders when you’re trying to make a merman-human relationship work.

 

By now they spend most of their free time, which is always when Akira is not at school, or at some part-time work, or doing anything else pretending not to be seeing a supernatural creature, in the cavern. It’s not ideal as it’s too dry for Akechi and too damp for the human, but the privacy it provides is impossible to achieve anywhere else. The ‘fish cuddles’ they can freely engage in- as named by Akira just to get on Goro’s nerves- definitely make up for it too.

 

It took quite a while for the merman to stop hissing and puffing up at every attempt of being touched by Akira, unless he was distracted enough to not notice an incoming hand ‘in time’. But even then, it was nothing short of playing with fire as soon as Akechi realised his personal space was being intruded upon. A swipe of his claws had Akira mind his own business again, but it never deterred him for long.

 

\---

 

“If you have such an overwhelming urge to intrude upon somebody’s personal space, please choose Morgana; he seems to be quite content receiving that kind of attention,” Goro grumbles out after another attempt by Akira to pet him. His clawed hand is still hanging in between them.

 

“You often act so similarly, I have trouble telling you apart,” Akira muses.

 

“Please tell me you’re joking.”

 

“Look, you both like sunbathing, eat expensive food, groom for hours, pretend you don’t like compliments, are constantly jealous-” Akira actually uses his fingers to point out each similarity and Goro has just about enough.

 

“I refuse to listen to this drivel anymore.”

 

“See? You’re basically a Grumpy Ocean Cat.” Akira leans back on his hands with the most smug grin Goro has ever seen. “Are all mers like that? Varying in degrees of tolerating human contact depending on their mood? I might consider returning you to the shelter, so answer carefully.” Finishing the joke he grins, pleased with himself. The silence following it has Akira actually look at Goro to gauge his reaction.

 

The merman doesn’t even look angry, which is the response the human was going for.Instead, there’s hurt on Akechi’s face so raw, Akira can feel all the air in his lungs escaping in one go.

 

“Are my shortcomings really that bothersome to you?” The question hangs heavy with implications in the air. The deafening silence following it has Akira’s playful mood dissipating in a second, immediately wracking his brain in search of words that could remedy the situation in any way, but coming up with nothing. 

 

“Do I understand correctly you’ll bear with me only until the novelty of my presence wears off?” Continued silence prompts Goro to continue. “Am I to expect that I’ll be tossed like a rotting fish head the second I don’t meet expectations? Please spare me making a fool out of myself and inform me if you wish me gone. It can be arranged anytime.”

 

There isn’t even an ounce of venom in Akechi’s voice, just bone-deep weariness and that crestfallen expression, like he was collapsing in on himself, no strength left in him to hide behind fake smiles and facades. Done choking on his own emotions twice over. 

 

Akira feels like he’d been slapped.

 

“Shit, Goro-”

 

“Don’t ‘Goro’ me! You are no different than all of them! Thinking I’m so easy to manipulate, or that I’ll bend to anybody’s will for an ounce of attention! Having no perceived worth beyond being a source of entertainment!” The merman isn’t looking at Akira anymore, slamming his hands and tail into the ground as a heart-wrenching cry escapes him. His ragged breathing follows it, but barely a minute and a single sob later, Goro’s composure is back. Spine straightened, hands folded in his lap, he looks Akira in the eyes for a fraction of a second and  _ bows. _

 

“I apologise for my outburst. Allow me to make sure you’ll never have to witness such an unsightly display ever again.” He speaks still facing the ground, voice perfectly even.

 

Akira knows what’s about to happen before the merman has the chance to move another limb.

 

They both bolt in the direction of the water at the same time; Goro with a clear intention to make his final exit and Akira, trying to prevent it, manages to catch his hand mid-jump while almost getting pulled into the water himself, landing on his knees just at the edge so hard his teeth clack. It stops Goro in his tracks, and Akira almost getting his tongue bitten clean off is a small price for that.

 

“Don’t run.” Akira tries to reason, instead of appealing to Akechi’s emotions. “Hear me out and decide what you want to do then, okay? I promise I’ll respect it.” The distrust in Goro’s eyes as he turns back to face Akira makes him fear the fragile trust they’ve build over the past weeks has burst like a soap bubble, but a tiny bit of hope springs in Akira’s heart when the merman doesn’t make a move, even though he stares daggers, challenging Akira to change his mind.

 

They both spend a moment searching one another’s eyes for signs or any indications of the other’s intentions, trying to gain the upper hand, but when Goro blinks first and moves a bit closer without separating their hands, Akira knows not all hope is lost. 

 

He takes a deep breath to steel his nerves. “I’m pretty sure I should be the one apologising here for letting my mouth run. I really don’t want a watered down version of you.” They both smile slightly at the pun. “I like you the way you are and I’m sorry.” Akira squeezes Goro’s hand, hoping to convey the honesty of his statement through simple words and actions, as not to give Akechi reason to overthink them. He won’t question whatever judgement Akechi passes on his words, but dread fills the bottom of his stomach as he watches the merman’s lips part before suddenly breaking eye contact and hanging his head.

 

The ocean itself seems to still, waiting with bated breath for its child’s answer.

 

And then only a quiet exhale escapes through Goro’s nose, followed by a barely audible laugh, before he lets go of Akira’s hand to suddenly tackle the human to the ground. Akira is completely caught off guard when out of the blue the merman lunges at him and his short and unimpressive life flashes before his eyes. Would it kill Akechi to tone down the jumpscares? At this rate he will have a heart failure at the age of 18, courtesy of an overeager sea creature.

 

The added weight of Akechi’s upper body has Akira’s back connecting with the ground in an extra unpleasant way, leaving him wheezing for a solid minute, with Goro giggling at his misfortune all the while. Maybe Akira would have appreciated the rare sound more, had he been able to hear anything past the ringing in his ears.

 

“God, you will be the death of me.” He groans out after a while and adds a cough at the end for dramatic effect.

 

“I think the fact that it hasn’t happened the other way around yet is vastly more impressive.”

 

“Good thing I’m so full of surprises then, huh?” Tired of being stuck between literal rock and a hard place, Akira makes an effort to sit up by trying to heave Goro off himself, succeeding only in pushing the snickering merman to his lap.

 

“Damn, you’re heavy.” Akira huffs out, failing to hide how he’s out of breath after the world’s first attempt to bench press a merman.

 

“And you’re so bony, I can’t fathom how Morgana finds this even remotely comfortable.” Goro dares to complain as he moves to lie fully on his stomach on Akira’s lap and proceeds to fold his arms on the human’s thigh to get cosy, effectively pinning his legs in place. Having nowhere to put his hands, Akira settles for tentatively laying one just below Akechi’s shoulder fin. Feeling he absolutely has a right to in his position, and undeterred by the merman’s slightly narrowed eyes following his every move, his other hand rests on Goro’s head. Both hold their breath, keenly awaiting the other’s next move.

 

Akira’s touch is featherlight and has a pleasantly tingling sensation spreading across Goro’s whole body, down to the very tip of his tail. He likes it, he determines, enough to close his eyes and lean into the hand resting on the crown of his head. He distinctly hears Akira’s gasp at being allowed to continue his advances and hides his smile in the crook of his elbow. The glide of Akira’s hands remains gentle despite growing more and more bold with each passing minute, from just fully spreading his fingers and making small, repetitive movements to running his hand down the plane of Goro’s back and cradling the side of his head to lightly scraping at his scalp. When Akira carefully takes the torn shoulder fin into his hands to spread it and run his fingers along the radials, alternatively to smooth his palm over it, he revels in the trust put in him not to damage the appendage further.

 

And Akechi? He’s on cloud nine, every muscle in his body relaxed, breathing deeply and easily like never before. His head is filled with a soft hum not unlike one that can be heard when putting your ear to a conch, wanting nothing but Akira’s hands on him for the rest of his days. 

 

In reality, he knows this dream will never come true and it makes his heart quiver with longing already. It doesn’t stop him from indulging in more ‘fish cuddles’ in the following days. Quite the contrary, he usurps Morgana’s spot in Akira’s lap at every given moment.

  
  


*

  
  


But at the same time, Morgana can be a blessing in disguise, not just a shedding menace leaving Goro and Akira constantly covered in his fur.

 

\---

 

When the human is busy with the maintenance of his fishing rod and preparing bait for later, Akechi discreetly pulls Morgana to the side, urging the cat to stay silent with a finger pressed to his lips.

 

“Morgana, are you absolutely sure humans hold no magic in them?” Goro practically curls around the cat to make sure their conversation is private.

  
Morgana tries not to look too unnerved by the coils surrounding him. “Positive, unless they form a contract with a demon. Why are you even asking?”

 

Once satisfied with the barrier, Akechi looks behind himself to check if the uninvolved party is still minding his own business. He is, completely focused on attaching some kind of a small fish to a hook, sticking his tongue out in concentration. Goro can’t not find it adorable.

  
“But...but each time I see Akira there's this  _ pull _ and I can’t explain it-” When Morgana’s groan rudely interrupts his rambling, Goro is close to grabbing and shaking the cat around a bit to force him to take him seriously. Until a serious bombshell is dropped, that is.

  
“It's all you. You're in love, you moron.” Morgana looks and sounds so, so done but Akechi doesn’t really register the cat’s tone, too busy absorbing the information. Momentarily frozen in shock, he just stares ahead, mind blank for a second, before it catches up and goes into overdrive.

 

“I’m in- what? Morgana, what do you mean?” He half-shouts, half-pleads, following the creature- already casually walking away- with his eyes. Akechi in his haste almost trips on his own tail, making it easy for Morgana to dodge the sloppy attempt at dragging him back.

 

“Exactly what I said.” And with that, Morgana is clearly done talking to Goro and returns to Akira, who apparently has pricked himself, eagerly holding out his bleeding finger in the cat’s direction after his offer to heal it.

 

In  an attempt to process the newly gained knowledge, Akechi flops on his back and covers his face with his hands. He stays like that for a awhile, every now and then grumbling something out or turning to lie on his stomach, completely oblivious to the concerned glances he gets from Akira- and the amused ones from Morgana. They both know to leave the merman alone to deal with whatever he’s dealing with.

 

How did this happen? How did any of this have any right to happen? Goro just doesn’t understand. The cat is lying, is the simplest explanation. It makes both the most and completely no sense at the same time, just like the idea that he has developed romantic feelings for the human.

 

He recalls each time Akira would greet him with that shy, fond smile; always genuine if a little tense on the days that weren’t too kind to the human. He recalls how eagerly Akira would help him up on the pier, even if most of the time all he got from that were soaked pants and sleeves of his shirt. He recalls how happy Akira always seems when he sees Akechi. And when Goro realizes that the feeling is mutual, always has been, and the warmth that fills his chest can’t be blamed on the afternoon sun only.

 

After a while of ruminating on that, he picks himself up and goes to throw himself back into the ocean, without a single word uttered to his company, desperate to cool his head and sunburned skin. Unsurprisingly, it does next to nothing to help and serves only to further worry Akira.

 

It doesn’t take him long to reemerge, and having come up with nothing that would solve his dilemma he decides to ignore it, bury it so deep that it dies of neglect, nipped in the bud. But just as he’s about to heave himself up on the pier Akira is already upon him, extending a hand to help him and asking if he’d like to eat anything, with that gentle smile on his face. Goro just stares, wordlessly, marveling at how the sun backlights the human’s hair and how his gray eyes reflect the early sunset’s colors. Akechi’s throat goes dry.

 

Oh gods, he’s in love and he’s completely screwed.

  
  


*

  
  


Something has to be done about it and in true Akechi fashion, it turns out to be a do-or-die mission.

 

So, when they are being dumb teenagers playing in the water one afternoon, Goro starts circling Akira when they are far enough away from the shore for the water to be too deep to reach the bottom with his toes.

 

The human isn’t alarmed in any way, idly floating with a lazy smile on his face happy and to just watch Goro in his element, anticipating maybe to be teased by him by brushing a fin against his shins or getting splashed from the direction he least expects it.

 

What he doesn’t expect is being roughly grabbed by his ankle and pulled underwater. He doesn't panic though and after the initial shock he stays calm, sure he will be let go soon enough to return above water on his own or with Goro’s help, depending on what the merman’s idea was. But when the hold from his ankle transfers to his waist and Akechi shows no indication of releasing him anytime soon, worry creeps into Akira’s brain, his heart dangerously close to lodging in his throat. Disoriented and a step away from trying to wrangle himself away from the merman’s hold, he focuses on preserving air in his lungs and the fact that his chances of survival are the largest if he actually stays clinging to Goro. 

 

So he does, for what feels like hours when it actually were seconds, despite the burn in his lungs overtaking every already semi-coherent thought.

 

In his dilemma he doesn’t notice them slowing down, his hands being pried away and his face being cupped until something is trying to force his mouth open. Blind and deaf and panicked Akira fights, weakly turning his head away until the burning turns unbearable and he succumbs, letting all the remaining air escape his lungs, desperate just like him to reach the surface.

 

That’s it. That’s it, that’sitthat’sitthat’sit-

 

He manages to register his nose being pinched, mouth covered by something to stop the flow. Lips? Goddamn, Akechi-

 

And then sweet, fresh air enters his lungs and every single of his senses lights up like a sun coming out from behind the clouds. His eyes fly open, only to be singed by the saltwater until he squeezes them closed again. But in the fraction of a second they were open he recognizes those blood red eyes, full of uncertainty, just inches from his own. It prompts him to put some force into the kiss, just to show he reciprocates it, then nip and tug on the merman’s bottom lip hoping the other will remember that Akira still needs atmospheric air to breathe,  _ please and thank you. _

  
When they actually do get back to the surface Akira doesn’t spare a second, barely having caught his breath, to grab Akechi’s head and press their foreheads together to rasp out ‘ _ kiss of life, my ass’  _ only to bring their lips together again and promptly pass out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologize for how long it took me to update, I had this chapter 99% done for a couple of days now, but only today have had enough time to add the finishing touches. I wanted to have this fic out before my exam session and state exams began but editing this monster takes so much time...Last chapter should be up by the end of next week but no promises. Thank you for your patience!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uhh only about a week late but it's here boys, I apologise for the delay, but work kicked both mine and Amme's ass so hard(please go read their fics, they are SO much better than mine).
> 
> I also wanted to thank every single one of you that gave this story a chance, thank you for kudos and comments(even if I don't read them cuz I'm a coward)!!
> 
> Please enjoy?

It doesn’t take even a day for Morgana to have enough of Akira and Goro being together. While whispers, subsequent giggling, and shy touches were nothing out of the ordinary when the three of them shared meals, now the two boys were basically inseparable.

 

Currently Goro, who’s casually lying on his side with his upper body propped on his elbow, is being fed some raw fish pieces by a half-sitting half-leaning against him Akira, the human’s knees raised to make room for Akechi’s tail laid out under them, since the merman insisted it's the most comfortable position for him to lie in. It also had an added perk of Akira having one of Akechi’s hip area fins within his reach; Goro didn’t even have to bring any attention to it for Akira to start playing with it. Its convenient placement is noted only with a brief, knowing glance exchanged with the merman. With all of that and Goro’s tailfin covering Akira’s bare feet to top it off, the human was pretty much trapped.

 

Akira didn't seem to mind being made to sit exactly how Akechi wanted him to though, focused instead on avoiding having his fingers nipped at by a particularly playful merman. There were smiles on their faces the second Akira noticed Goro waiting for them earlier in the day, and with the toothy grins present on them now, they seemed to be having the time of their lives.

 

Morgana, by now beyond done with third-wheeling, eats his fill as fast as he can and leaves the two to themselves, dutifully keeping watch. He wants to be angry, to be jealous, to tell them to pay attention to anything else other than themselves. But he knows that Akira, at least, isn’t ignoring him out of malice and that a special apology is waiting in the fridge at home, immediately improving Morgana’s mood. And despite falling from the top to the bottom (a whopping second place) of Akira’s list of favorite people, he was happy that those lonely kids have finally found a kindred soul in one another, no matter how unlikely of a pair they made.

  
  


*

  
  


Since then Akira would urge them to relocate to the cavern more often than not, so that they could fully relax, and maybe catch up on sleep after a particularly vicious storm that took place the night before. With how Akira has spend a good portion of it awake and helping at the docks in the newer part of the town, and with Akechi unable to find a safe enough place to sleep, they were both exhausted.

 

Slipping away the second he’s not being paid attention to, Akira rushes to their meeting spot, sticking close to the shadows to avoid being slowed down or followed. Not needing to lie about having to go to school means no one will come looking for him either, therefore he decides to forego returning home to get Morgana, excusing his recklessness with sparing the cat having to endure them being ‘all lovey-dovey’ yet again; this way, he gets to check up on Akechi faster. He will just have to be more careful than usual- and Goro might not even be there, but hiding somewhere, given how the sea hasn’t fully calmed down yet.

 

Akira’s heart is already going a mile a minute, mostly from worry (he  _ did  _ have somewhere to hide, he had to), on top of trying to get to the pier as quickly as possible without being too suspicious. But the closer he gets to the pier, the closer he gets to straight up running, and spotting that familiar pale tail winding in between the wooden poles has him sprinting, along with his heart threatening to beat out of his chest, leaving Akira breathless with exertion and relief. While he might have preferred for Goro to stay in whatever place he has found to hide from the storm until it’s subsided completely, the sight of him clearly anticipating Akira brings a fond smile to the human’s face.

 

The sight of bruises and cuts sharply contrasting with the merman’s skin like blood on fresh snow quickly changes that to a frown. But before Akira can even open his mouth to curse at himself for not getting Morgana, there’s a clawed hand twisting in his rain jacket to pull at it; Akira doesn’t have to be told twice to join Goro in the water. The unsaid questions in Akira’s eyes are answered by the merman with a brief but reassuring kiss before they are on their way. Akechi is tense and quiet throughout it, and the swim to the cavern feels more like he’s the one clinging to Akira, rather than the other way around.

 

There are hands  _ tearing  _ at Akira’s clothes as soon as they reach their destination, not even giving him a moment to shake water out of his hair. And while nothing actually gets torn with how dull and chipped Goro’s claws are, the tight-lipped urgency and wild look in Akechi’s eyes isn’t an exaggeration. It takes Akira a couple of minutes of determined effort to pry the merman’s desperate fingers from his shirt and a few unsuccessful attempts at catching the merman’s attention to make Goro focus on his face instead of on his clothes.

 

The struggle to undress Akira, coupled with the only sounds leaving Akechi’s mouth being dissatisfied grunts and a whine that escapes him upon his hands ending up clutched in Akira’s own, has the human looking for words to make sense of this uncharacteristically animalistic behaviour himself. Akira winces when he realises how well the word describes how Akechi’s currently acting and immediately banishes it from his mind.

 

“Goro, what’s wrong?” He tries again, but seeing it fall flat for the umpteenth time he instead searches Akechi’s eyes for an answer, finding pupils blown with distress and urgency, their disquetitude in stark contrast with how silent the merman is now. “Goro, please.” But even with that the sound of their desynced panting continues to completely fill the cavern, making it hard for either to focus on a single coherent thought. 

 

A hand entering Goro’s view makes him jerk back and blink rapidly, coherence returning to him like a fish to its school after a predator’s attack, his thoughts slotting back into the places they belong from the incoherent mess they were up until now. It leaves him lightheaded and unbalanced; with his wits collected and the buzz of adrenaline gone, Goro just bonelessly flops on top of Akira.

 

“Tired.” More like exhausted, now that he thinks about it. “As well as needlessly worried from what I can see,” is mumbled out hoarsely into the human’s stomach.

 

Akira is fine, completely unharmed, and Akechi can feel the embarrassment for making himself so vulnerable burning his cheeks, but last night was  _ bad,  _ so bad he wants nothing more than to forget the soul-crushing loneliness that he hadn’t experienced in so long, overwhelmed by it and helplessly clinging to any rock surface he could get his hands on. He was completely unprepared to weather a storm of such severity; blind in the darkness, deafened by the ocean’s roar and barely able to breathe with how how much sand there was in the water, he could only wait, furious at himself and envious of the sturdy homes humans have built for themselves to counter such exact conditions.

 

Akira’s strained laugh has Goro lose that train of thought and take a deep, shuddering breath, as the tension slowly drains from both of them. With that hellish night finally behind him and a thankfully unharmed Akira before him, Goro allows himself to relax and winds his arms around Akira’s midsection, beyond content to just idly nose at the human’s stomach until he falls asleep to his back being rubbed.

 

“What were you worried about, you dummy? ...I’ve spend most of the night in a nice and dry bed, safe and sound away from the storm, unlike a certain someone, apparently.” Suddenly reminded of the bruises littering his skin as Akira’s hand glides over one, Goro becomes self-conscious and to remedy that, he rises to push Akira to the ground and lie on his chest this time, pointedly ignoring how the human silently laughs through his nose.

 

“Make yourself useful and be a good pillow for once.” The huff is accompanied by a jab to Akira’s ribs that only serves to increase the volume of his snickering.

 

“So demanding…” Akira relents and settles for threading his fingers through Goro’s hair in lieu of teasing. On the other hand, it quickly becomes apparent that the merman is very much not joking about napping right there and then. No matter how much Akira likes the idea, there’s no way he can let a sleep-deprived sea creature nestle itself in between his legs for who knows how long, for obvious reasons. Goro’s inability to breathe properly when out of water for too long was the main factor though, of course it was.

 

“Get up you big baby, I’m not going anywhere so just get back into the water.” His protest is barely half-hearted, the pleasant feeling of the other’s body against his almost enough to let Goro do whatever he wants, no matter the consequences.

 

Akechi, sharing the same sentiment, instead of answering squeezes his eyes shut and hums; obviously displeased at being disturbed and absolutely refusing to move, he proceeds to further press into Akira. He’s spent half the night frantically searching for a safe enough place to wait out the storm, sorely missing how his previous pods would just huddle together when facing strong currents that would sometimes appear out of nowhere. Being torn for the whole night between wishing Akira was here with him and hoping the human was somewhere safe and not by himself, he’s not keen on letting go now. It's not his fault he’s being maybe a tiny little bit clingy. That, and he hates when Akira is right.

 

“Come on, or I’ll drag you by the tail.” The threat is empty like the eye of a storm, but the glint in Akira’s reflects the mischief swirling in them.

 

“You’re welcome to try.” Goro barks out, despite knowing full well it’s better not to challenge Akira, for his own good.

 

The human tries and fails, to absolutely no one’s surprise, earning himself a bunch of bruises of his own. But instead of admitting defeat, Akira goes to sit in the water and faces Goro, taunting the merman with a self-satisfied smirk. It’s a fool-proof plan since Akechi will never miss an opportunity to wipe those smug smiles off of his face, and so, Goro has no choice but to begrudgingly follow Akira.

 

There might or might not be a handful of biting kisses exchanged between them before Akechi passes out in the shallow water, observing while Akira attempts to clean up the mess resulting from the storm doing quite a number on Goro’s ‘collection’- one that had rendered the cavern useless as a shelter in the first place. Not really getting far with their little makeout session fresh in his memory, Akira dumps the junk in his hands and moves to sit at the edge of the water with a sigh. He stares at Akechi, rarely ever this relaxed and trusting. Unguarded in his sleep, he looks like a marble statue unearthed from the bottom of the sea. A treasure.

 

Although not lacking occupation, Akira’s mind wanders to less pleasant, but far more pressing topics. Storms like the one that took place last night will only increase in frequency, and while this one was abnormally severe for this time of the year, it won’t be the last one. The fact that Goro underestimated it could be chalked up to his inexperience in dealing with above-water matters, but had he not been at full strength, this encounter could have proven lethal. Next time he will be more prepared for sure- a proper cleanup of the cavern would serve this purpose- but Akira is not keen on Akechi taking on any more unnecessary risks. Such a solution would be temporary at best, and they are already pushing their luck as it is.

 

In silence, disturbed only by gentle waves washing over the merman’s back on their way to hit the shore, Akira considers all their options, not liking any of them in the least and knowing that only one of them is feasible. Heavily exhaling through his nose, he focuses on the part of Akechi’s tail that he just noticed is missing a handful of scales; feeling a pang in his chest, he gets up to rejoin the merman in the water. Instead of brooding and worrying he decides to spend however little time they have left together, laying a hand on Goro’s shoulder to avoid startling the already rousing merman too badly. 

 

Unaware of the storm in Akira’s head, Goro sleepily rearranges his position drape his arm across the human’s lap and press his forehead against Akira’s thigh, already asleep when a hand is placed on his head a second later.

  
  


*

  
  


The time to say goodbye comes sooner than any of them anticipated.

 

For the first time in weeks, Akira doesn’t appear at the pier that day at all. Goro, unable to shake the bad feeling no matter how hard he’s trying to tell himself that Akira is probably just busy and doesn’t owe him daily visits no matter what, is either anxiously swimming between its wooden beams for several hours or silently fuming between naps in his hideout below the pier.

 

His diligence is rewarded with not missing Morgana making an appearance over an hour past sunset, looking like he’s been chased through the woods - agitated and out of breath, fur dirty with leaves sticking to it and constantly looking behind him.

 

His rushed explanation for Akira’s absence has Goro paler that the full moon that night.

 

Apparently, some strange people appeared in the city early in the morning, proceeding to ask around if anyone has seen unusual happenings out in the waters lately, or anything out of the ordinary in general. They were looking for a dangerous runaway and were offering a large prize for helping to locate them.

 

From the look in Morgana’s eyes, Akechi immediately knows what’s going on. 

 

The hunters from before have found him.

 

The cat continues to hastily relay the situation; the townspeople have pinpointed Akira as someone who had been acting weird lately in addition to spending a lot of time at the old pier, and is now being constantly tailed by the group. Morgana came into suspicion as well and had to make himself scarce; supernatural beings’ hunters could most likely hear him speak after all. They were also offering a large sum of money for providing them with information (enough for Akira to move out, enough for a fresh start), and for now they are playing nice but Morgana’s sure they would resort to violence sooner or later to make Akira talk, especially if they get bored of the goose chase. Worse, they could capture him and straight out use him as bait- or even kill him if he keeps refusing to cooperate, since they really, really don't like competition.

 

Selling Akechi was probably his best shot at redeeming himself in the eyes of the townsfolk. But instead, he’s sent Morgana to tell him to flee without looking back- and to do so  _ immediately _ . Shaking like a leaf from both fury and terror, Goro struggles to process the situation. Logically, he should take Akira’s advice, no matter how much he doesn’t want to. On the other hand…

 

“Morgana.” His gravelly voice startles the cat. “Can your master...get rid of my condition?” The second part is spoken softer and softer with each word, as though he’s gradually losing resolve.

 

“Condition? What do you-...” When Morgana realizes what Goro has in mind his eyes go wide with disbelief. “You want to become  _ human?  _ How do you know about my master?!” The cat all but shrieks out the revelation and Goro scrambles to quiet him down.

 

“Don’t shout! You could lead them here-”

 

As if on queue, the sound of quickly approaching footsteps reaches their ears having both of them freeze for a fraction of a second, before Goro scrambles to get back into the water as quickly and quietly as possible. Morgana bristles, ready to intercept the intruder to allow Akechi to escape safely.

 

They both briefly pause when a familiar voice starts calling their names, but do nothing to acknowledge it, afraid it might be a trick. Only when the approaching human comes close enough to be seen and Akira’s distinct mop of  especially tousled hair becomes visible do they breathe a sigh of relief.

 

“What are you doing here you id-” Akechi doesn’t get to finish his sentence as Akira, without slowing down, drops to his knees in front of Goro and bends to take the merman’s face into his hands, hastily planting a kiss on his lips. Goro struggles only a little, miffed at being interrupted, but soon enough melts into it with a soft sigh.

 

Morgana clearing his throat brings them both out of their little moment.

 

They part reluctantly and Akira cards his hands through Goro’s hair before speaking. “I knew you wouldn’t listen to Morgana, so I came.” His tone is mournful, lacking the usual playful lilt. “Missing me for a couple of weeks is nothing next to life in captivity, you dumbass.”

 

“He was just telling me he wants to become human to have the hunters leave you alone!”

 

“What? Is that even possible?” Akira tightens his grip on Goro, completely disregarding Morgana’s accusatory tone.

 

The cat grimaces. “Even if it is, we don’t have time for that!”

 

“Akira, listen to me-” Goro begins, but is rudely interrupted again.

 

“We’re not doing The Little Mermaid, okay? No way.” Akira shakes both his head and Goro by his shoulders.

 

“The Little Mermaid…?” Akechi’s narrowed eyes gleam dangerously in the moonlight.

 

“I’ll explain later.” Pointedly avoiding meeting Goro’s gaze, Akira lets go of the merman and sits cross-legged on the pier.

 

“Any other brilliant ideas then? Feel free to share.” 

 

A beat of silence fills the air.

 

“So, uh, any chance that maybe I could grow a tail, instead of Goro growing legs?” Spoken out loud, the question sounds even dumber than it did in Akira’s head, but it’s out in the open now and having to deal with his own stupidity on daily basis is nothing new, so he just waits to be called out again.

 

Surprisingly, the exact opposite happens.

 

“It’s a lot more likely this way around, since gaining magical affinity is easier than losing it...”  Morgana explains before catching himself as he turns to look at Akira. The human doesn’t seem to be present - his calculating gaze is trailed on Goro’s tail, eyes lit up with countless ideas running through his head after learning of the possibility. “Are you seriously considering that?!” Morgana’s shriek startles Akira out of his small stupor, causing him to jump and fiddle with his fringe in embarrassment.

 

“Don’t even think about it,” Akechi warns, refusing to even entertain the idea as his eyes narrow even further and his fins rise in irritation. Self-consciously moving his tail further away from the two, he wonders how his life keeps finding ways to become a bigger and bigger mess.

 

Akira, on the other hand, can’t get the mental image of having a tail of his own out of his head. How can he, when each night his dreams are filled with him being the same as Akechi, scales and fins and all that? In his waking hours he longs to have that freedom, that independence.

 

To have the ability to make Goro less lonely.

 

Yet again Morgana’s voice interrupts his train of thought. “You have to go back, Akira; they might notice you’re gone and start searching for you. Coming here was already reckless enough!” Akira knew he was putting the three of them in danger but he also knows he can’t leave just like that. The thought of not seeing Akechi for a longer while, maybe even ever again and never knowing what happened to him, was just too much to bear.

 

But the choices he has now look better than they did those couple days ago - even with the possibility of having to let go of somebody he deeply cares for and abandoning them to their fate, choosing that person over everything else and leaving his current life behind became an option. Akechi seems to be content to choose for him though, resuming his retreat to back to the ocean, as the tense silence without any of them moving starts to stretch outuncomfortably long.

 

“Goro,- Goro, hey, where are you going?” Akira’s obvious attempt to stall is met with a raised brow from Akechi. With a shake of his head the human closes the distance and, knowing the other is immediately on the defensive when he’s being towered over, again drops to his knees beside Goro.

 

“I should leave before you decide to do something you will regret.” He’s rewarded with a far less aggravated expression and softer voice, its quiver betraying the statement’s falsehood.

 

“You’re worried about me? So you mean you like the idea?” 

 

Akechi opens his mouth to retort, but fight flares up in his eyes for a fraction of a second before he squeezes them shut and thins his lips, jerking forward to put his head on Akira’s shoulder. The human’s hands are immediately on his back, pulling him closer, making it more of a hug.

 

“I didn’t want any of this to happen. I didn’t want to have things to lose ever again…”

 

“You won’t have to. We’ll come up with something.” Akira tries to sound as convincing as he can but still turns to Morgana, wordlessly pleading him to offer a solution. The cat just flattens his ears against his head and breaks eye contact.

 

“You don’t understand!” Akechi exclaims, reaching the boiling point as he slightly pushes away from Akira. “You have people to come back to, a future to work for, means to find a place for yourself and  _ I have none of that.”  _ His hands tighten in Akira’s shirt. “I don’t need saving, though; I don’t need you to play the hero!” Goro’s voice keeps getting louder. “How can you do this to me!? Extending your hand knowing I can’t take it!” He tears away completely to look Akira in the eyes, his own full of anguish and grief. Akira just regards him calmly, waiting for the outburst to end to say something himself.

 

“Humans truly are cursed…” It’s over as soon as it began and Goro drops his gaze to the ground. There wasn’t anything else ever in his life he desired as strongly as for Akira to stay with him. He knew it wouldn’t be possible, knew he shouldn't have let it happen. But his heart yearned for it and he listened to it, and now he’s paying for it.

 

The heartbroken look on Akira’s face and Akechi hiding his own from them brings Morgana to steel his resolve and come up to the boys.

 

“Until tomorrow morning, hide and stay safe. Should be enough time for me to check up on some things. I’ll just come find you when I’m done.” Morgana says it confidently, but the fake cheer betrays his nervousness. Still, he doesn’t wait for the other two to speak; he gets up and hastily walks away from them, not keen on wasting any more time. Akira just watches his friend vanish into the darkness, hoping it’s not the last time he sees him before turning to Akechi.

 

The merman is still pointedly avoiding eye contact and Akira’s chest tightens. “Let’s go wait for Morgana in the cavern, okay? There’s no way I’m getting any sleep tonight and I’d rather spend that time with you anyway…” This gets Goro’s attention and one red eye peeks out from behind the fringe. In its depths is a raging tempest, stronger than any storm Akira has ever seen, that serves to hide the hesitance, the fear that is threatening to break the surface and swallow them both.

 

Goro remains unmoving, knowing that directing any energy to his limbs will cause him to crumble. Instead, he lets the hand that Akira snuck under his chin guide his head to face the human fully, but Akechi defiantly close his eyes. When the other hand comes up to cup Goro’s cheek and move some stray hair behind his ear, the faint tremble in Akira’s fingers tells Akechi they are both barely keeping it together.

 

“Goro, you can’t stay here…” An urgent, shaky whisper is all Akira manages. And indeed, the assumption that each second brings their possible captors closer to them can’t be far from the truth. A decision has to be made.

 

“Let’s go.” He’s not ready to let go, not yet.

 

On their way there, they pretend they aren’t holding on to one another tighter than usual. They don’t separate upon arrival either and in a tangle of limbs on the ground, they dive straight for one another’s lips as soon as they have the chance.

 

The kiss is insistent and messy at first, both in need of an outlet for that nervous energy that would probably have them arguing instead of making out in any other situation, but for now words are a waste of time. Time they might have very, very little of.

 

In his urgency, Goro forgets to mind his teeth and a particularly forceful tug at Akira’s bottom lip leaves it split. The human gasps and tenses in surprise, pain slightly clearing the pleasant fog in his head, until an apology in the form of a tongue pressed against the wound is issued and he’s pliant in Goro’s hands again.

 

Akira manages a semi-coherent thought of ‘ _ could Goro maybe tone his fucking mermaid magic down, please and thank you’  _ before his brain returns to the state of warm mush, and the only thing he’s capable of producing are obscenely loud moans at the electric feeling of their tongues meeting, even with Akechi’s mouth tasting almost unpleasantly salty. The remaining hint of Akira’s blood on his tongue, no matter how miniscule it was by now, ignites Goro’s hunger to leave a permanent mark on the other’s skin for when they are apart and Akira inevitably finds a new partner, so they’d know they weren’t first. A displeased whine in response to him tightening his grip on Akira’s side makes the merman abandon the notion. For now.

 

Instead, he rolls onto his back and brings the human on top of him, breaking the kiss to allow them both to catch a much needed breath. Akira, with his senses almost painfully heightened, just lies there heaving, letting the other do whatever he pleases. Each touch to his oversensitive skin sends shivers down his spine, his whole body shaking in both anticipation and arousal, immensely enjoying the cool sensation of Goro’s skin beneath his heated cheek. In such a borderline drunken daze, he decides that his soaked shirt is in the way of getting more of that pleasant feeling.

 

He doesn’t hesitate to tell Goro as much and soon the article of clothing lands on the ground with a wet flop. In the process they move farther away from the water so that Goro can sit more comfortably with his back against the wall, and Akira- well, Akira enthusiastically straddles the merman’s lap when given the opportunity. Gazing at Akechi from above, he looks like the cat got the cream, until the reality of the situation hits him a second later and the cotton that was stuffing his head for the past couple of minutes vanishes without a trace.

 

They both freeze, but when Akira nervously licks his swollen lips, Akechi’s eyes hungrily follow the motion.

 

“This wasn’t what we were supposed to be doing.”

 

“Yeah, no shit. On that topic, you repressed asshole, maybe next time don’t charm me stupid if you don’t want stuff like that to happen.” The implication of ‘next time’ doesn’t fly over their heads, but there’s another elephant in the room to be addressed: the fact that Akira is painfully hard, and can’t hide it no matter how much he’d like to (he doesn’t). His clothes are soaked and sticking to his skin uncomfortably, the blush extending to his ears and past his collarbone doing nothing to help keep his dignity intact either. How can he be blamed, though? He has a hot magical boyfriend, it’s a wonder in itself it hasn't happened earlier.

 

“Did you plan for this?” Akira half-huffs, half-laughs out the words. God, what did he get himself into?

 

“Quite the contrary; for once I went with the flow, like you’d often suggest.” Goro raises one brow in amusement, ardently looking Akira up and down. “What are you so embarrassed about? Considering that by human standards I’m constantly naked, I should commend you for staying decent for so long.” The mixed message of being accused of being a horny teenager but not a  _ rabid  _ horny teenager is such a Goro classic that Akira doesn’t even get angry at the underhanded compliment. In addition to that, the tone of his voice is sultry and low, so pleased with himself, which serves only to further excite Akira. ”I am willing to take full responsibility for my actions though, if you’ll let me.”

 

Akira’s brain shortcircuits at that. Where was this irresistible, self-confident monster before? A pleasant and reserved, playful and competitive Goro was a delight in and of itself, but in front of Akira was a literal demon that all mermaid folk tales warned people about - alluring, breathtakingly beautiful and just as  _ dangerous. _ A shiver going down Akira’s spine didn’t go unnoticed by those keen eyes. Rarely anything does, honestly.

 

Akira swallows thickly in attempt to get back on top of his game. “Are you telling me to strip, honey?” Two can play this game, after all. 

 

“That would be of great help, I might ruin the fabric with my claws otherwise. Unless…” he drags a single pointy nail down Akira’s thigh “...this is exactly what you want.” Oh no, Goro is too good at this, no fair. Akira will not let himself be outdone though; if this is their last day together he will go out with a bang, no backing out.

 

Therefore, all the while maintaining eye contact, Akira brings a hand to the front of his pants and pops the button, casually, without an ounce of impatience in his movements, in contrast to his hormone-drunk brain telling him to _ hurry it the fuck up. _

 

Continuing to undress might prove to be an issue though; Akira knows for sure that removing the jeans that are basically glued to his legs can’t be achieved without getting up in order wrestle them off. In all honesty, he’s sure to lose that fight with how wobbly he knows his knees will be. Ending up as an embarrassing mess on the cave’s floor with a killed boner to boot is just not worth it. That, and he absolutely doesn’t want to move an inch away from Akechi.

 

Additionally, leaving the offending article of clothing on might have an unforeseen perk of teasing Goro into losing that annoying cool of his. The merman is still silently watching him with rapt attention, awaiting the show’s continuation, slight blush and parted lips the only indication of him not being his usual composed self. At one point Akira was scared of being devoured by Akechi. Now? Not so much.

 

A bead of sweat forms under that unrelenting stare, or maybe it’s just water dripping from Akira’s hair, rushing down the plane of his back and making him shiver again. A shaky exhale, filled with anticipation, follows it.

 

“Well?” That little prompt, accented with Goro bucking his hips the tiniest bit, has Akira biting his lip to stifle a yelp before returning to the task at hand. The sound of a fly being unzipped is louder than it has any right to be and Akira falters slightly upon hearing it. He looks up to notice just how  _ red  _ Goro’s eyes are, as they are trained on his hands with fascination, and no longer on his face. The intensity of that gaze becomes unbearable to Akira, who in order to avoid coming right there and then has to throw his head back to take a couple of heavy, calming breaths. He doesn’t notice his eyes were also closed until they fly open at the unmistakable sensation of Akechi’s lips on his neck, the bastard making the best of the situation by simultaneously flustering Akira even further.

 

“Need a hand?” is nothing short of purred out against the younger boy’s throat and Akira is this close to losing it, his breath hitching and head swimming. “Show me.” The command is spoken so low, Akira more feels than hears it.

 

How can he say no? Akira briefly returns to earth to boldly grab the wrist of Goro’s left hand, bringing it to the front of his boxers to press it to his clothed erection. The moan that follows resonates off of the cave’s walls and Akira buries his face in Akechi’s shoulder in pure mortification, breathing loudly through his nose. The violent current that is Akechi’s touch is seconds away from drowning him in bright, heady pleasure.

 

Experimentally, emboldened by how receptive to his touch the other is, Goro starts to slowly rub his open palm against the human’s member; the delightful full-body shudder and broken whine it elicits has him using more pressure, simultaneously pulling the other for a bruising kiss. Akira practically melts against him at that, splaying a hand on the merman’s chest to put most of his weight on it and fully lean on Goro. The human’s other hand buries itself in Akechi’s hair, pulling at both his locks and ears and Akira smirks at the soft sighs he’s rewarded with.

 

God, why haven’t they done this earlier? 

 

The brief moment of lucidity is swiftly brought to an end by Goro sneaking his hand finally,  _ finally, _ past the waistband of Akira’s boxers to reach his prize. Having the human at his mercy gives Akechi a rush like no other, but Akira breaking the kiss to release a  _ keen _ as chilly fingers envelop and lightly squeeze his cock is beyond anything else he’s ever heard. And oh, Goro wants more of it, but Akira seems to be unwilling to let anything escape past his lips, bringing the palm previously tangled in Goro’s hair to press it against his lips.

 

Akechi will not stand for this. He brings his free hand to swat away the offending fingers at Akira’s lips, exchanging it for two of his own resting against the human’s tongue upon having pried his mouth open. “I sang for you so many times, let me hear your lovely voice now, hm?” He says with their faces barely an inch part, drinking in the delightful noises and expressions Akira makes when Goro’s palm closes on his dick once again.

 

But Akira is ready for it this time and doesn’t turn into a puddle of overstimulated nerves no matter how much Akechi wants it. Despite all the excitement and the tough act, Goro’s hand is uncoordinated and its movements uncertain, betraying nervousness and inexperience. In all honesty if it was anyone else other than Goro with the help of his unfair magic, Akira would have trouble getting off to that. 

 

Instead, with a huff to steady himself alongside all the brain power he can muster, which is not a lot for obvious reasons, he tries to focus on how much different Goro’s hand is compared to his own - chilly, or outright cold on his cock, which is both a blessing and a curse, smoother and more slippery (he tries to remember the fact that fish need lubricant to reduce drag and not give amazing, if clumsy, handjobs- or maybe he’s just leaking this much, who knows), soft webbing between fingers that has Akira firmly believe his own hand will never satisfy him again (and  _ oh,  _ Goro’s getting creative with it), complete with that signature sense of danger courtesy of Goro’s very much untrimmed claws. One of them catches lightly on his slit and Akira’s whole body tenses and jerks forward in response, startling the merman.

 

But touch was not the only sense Akira was supposed to focus on, and back to square one, he tries to make his tongue obey him beyond the moans and whines of differentiating pitches that Goro seems to be way too keen on coaxing out of him, playing him like a fine-tuned instrument. 

 

“Lemme touch you too,” tumbles out of Akira’s mouth once he gets rid of Goro’s fingers with one last lick to them. He’s moderately satisfied with it and Akechi only snorts in response, quietly draping his now free hand across the human’s bare back.

 

“Mmm...maybe some other time.” Eye contact is successfully avoided by Akechi nosing at Akira’s ear.

 

“...No fair.” When a nuzzle to the human’s neck proves to be a just as unsuccessful distraction tactic, a resigned sigh escapes Goro. 

 

“I liked it more when you were less talkative.”

 

“I liked it more when you were more honest with me,” Akira retorts. They stare blankly at one another, waiting to see who gives in first, but the unrelenting stubbornness eminating from the merman only serves to turn the dropping high of arousal into a pit of irritation. “Fine. Fuck you too, then. You don’t get to jerk me off in that case.” Akira proceeds to roll off of Akechi as through he wasn’t a sweaty, panting mess completely at the merman’s mercy. Goro, of course, doesn’t allow for that.

 

“Akira, _stop._ ” He tries to placate the other like an unruly child, letting go of his dick to hold on to him with both hands.

 

“No,  _ you _ stop, Goro.” Oh, Akira was  _ furious _ . “You don’t get to tell me what to do when you’re about to-...” He bangs a fist against Goro’s chest and buries his face in it without finishing the sentence. This was supposed to serve as closure for both of them, a bittersweet finale to finish what they started, no regrets, no second guesses. Not Goro stealing into the night with Akira’s heart, leaving behind an impenetrable barrier that the vastness of the ocean provides, as soon as the human lets him out of his sight. It’s a disaster, a mess, but in all honesty, what else did they expect with how different, despite all the similarities, they both are? They were simply not meant to be. But they still had some momentum left to keep pretending.

 

“Let’s just...enjoy whatever little time we have left, shall we? Until the sun rises, nothing else but us exists in this world,” Goro mutters into Akira’s hair once their bruising embrace lessens, their hearts and lips no longer quiver. Akira wants nothing more than for that statement to be true, and he can only hope his wish is reflected in the desperate kiss he pulls Goro into, as they resume their previous activities.

 

Later, much later, Akechi detangles from a passed out Akira to take care of his own business. With the ocean swallowing his own broken cries, he commits to memory the ones the human graced his ears with at the peak of his own passion.

 

Once he’s done, he returns to curl up around Akira, who is murmuring something in his sleep. It doesn’t seem to be a nightmare though and as soon as he’s carefully scooped from the ground, he stops. Akira doesn’t wake even as his head is being adjusted right under the merman’s chin, bringing a wry smile to the merman’s face. He did quite a number on Akira, didn’t he.

 

Once they get comfortable, Goro simply tightens his arms around the one thing he thought would be as easy to let go as anything else has ever been in his life before.

 

\---

 

Entangled in one another and lightly snoring is how Morgana finds them the next morning. 

 

Akechi is first to wake up, the weight of the cat’s gaze heavier than the human resting on top of him, but says nothing to acknowledge the cat, both in fear of waking Akira and of losing his composure. It was bad enough he had to keep his hands from shaking by tightening his grip on the other boy.

 

Some irrational part of his brain hopes Morgana doesn’t notice Akira’s discarded shirt that was used to clean up yesterday’s mess, knowing full well that the human being half-naked and both of them sporting fresh bite-sized bruises on their upper bodies betray exactly what transpired overnight. Goro is fighting the blush threatening to overtake his cheeks, his silence more of a stunned one at being caught.

 

Morgana stays silent though, his mood somber and apparently completely uninterested in addressing their position, and instead directs Goro’s gaze to an object lying at his feet - an ornate dagger with a wide blade, just lying there, innocently reflecting the light. It looks wickedly sharp and Akechi tenses, his eyes widening and heart in his throat, unsure of its purpose. He looking up at Morgana again, turning to his side to lie Akira on the ground further away from the weapon.

 

“No matter what we decide on, this dagger is not meant to be used on Akira but by Akira, if anything.” The proclamation does nothing to calm Goro’s nerves, his nausea only increasing. There’s something going on with that dagger and it’s not just its looks, but some kind of an enchantment Akechi can’t recognize and has no interest in inspecting further.

 

The mixture of Morgana’s voice and Goro’s distress brings Akira to finally open his eyes. Instead of acknowledging how his cat friend has appeared out of nowhere, judging from his completely dry fur, he instead sneaks his hands around Goro’s neck and latches on to it.

 

“You’re still here,” he murmurs sleepily, nosing blindly at one of Akechi’s gill slits.

 

“ _ Akira. _ ” Goro grits out to mask the shudder running down his spine. “Morgana is here.”

 

Akira straight up freezes. “Oh.”

 

“Oh, indeed. Now get off me.”

 

“I distinctly remember  _ somebody _ not wanting to be gotten off yesterday so what cha-” Akira isn’t given a chance to finish as Akechi forcefully detaches the leech of a human from his neck to sit up, fully intending to ignore a sputtering Akira.

 

“I changed my mind; you can go back to sleep.” Akechi throws behind himself and raises his fins a bit to accentuate his annoyance.

 

“Ohh, I’m being Morgana’d now. Joy,” Akita jests, trying to keep the atmosphere as light as possible. When he sees it fall flat he sits up with a sour expression and reaches out for his shirt to have anything to look at aside from the two other occupants of the cave, currently glaring daggers at him. That is, until he remembers how bad of an idea it is. He quickly leaves it be, pretending it’s not even there.

 

Goro can’t decide if he wants to get this over with as quickly as possible or to prolong it, painfully aware it maybe very well be their last moment together like this. But there’s no way to delay the inevitable separation of their ways, and with a heavy sigh and even heavier heart, he prompts Morgana to speak.

 

“We’ve got two options,” he begins as though he was explaining a heist setup. “One is, of course, Akechi getting out of here as fast as he can, which can prove to be difficult now. They know you’re missing-” Morgana points at Akira. “-and I’m sure we all know what conclusions they’ve already jumped to. You both are in danger and getting out of this unscathed depends on your individual performance more than anything else.” Both Akira and Goro know the situation would be less dire had they not indulged in what they did last night. Neither of them regrets it though and as much is confirmed in the quick look they exchange.

 

“The second option is…” the ominous way Morgana pauses the sentence has both boys holdig their breath. “Akira ‘growing a tail’ as it was suggested yesterday. This dagger is here to facilitate it.” He manages to explain only that much before the other two crowd him, both speaking at the same time.

 

“I refuse-”

 

“How do we do it-”

 

“-even if it works-”

 

“-how long-”

 

“Let me finish!” Somehow, Morgana manages to shout loud enough to stop them both talking over one another and force them to back away with a swipe of his claws. “It’s not easy and not guaranteed to work either! This spell is cognition and perception based, and for it to have any chance of success, both parties need to be fully convinced it will work.”

 

“What do you mean by ‘both parties’?” Akira glances between Goro and Morgana.

 

“More importantly, what does casting the spell entail if the dagger is necessary, as you mentioned?” Goro’s grave tone immediately curbs Akira’s enthusiasm.

 

“It’s not as bad as it could be. Akira just has to consume a piece of your flesh.” Morgana says it as casually as one would talk about the weather.

 

It’s indeed not as bad as it could be, Akechi agrees in his head, but it’s still something he doesn’t want to go through with. If only for the human’s sake, attempting something that has unknown side effects upon failure isn’t acceptable. Akira doesn’t deserve to suffer any more consequences of his selfishness. Goro throws an accusatory glance towards the still untouched dagger.

 

“There’s a third option.” He hears himself speak before grabbing the blade’s hilt and directing it towards himself with the point resting in between his ribs, just above the heart. “You sell my corpse to the hunters, forget about me and continue living your life the way you did up until now.” He can see Akira’s eyes widening with each emotionlessly spoken word leaving his mouth. Goro doesn’t allow himself to feel fear or regret. He caused this mess, and he will clean it up.

 

Akira, as per usual, disagrees with Goro’s plan.

 

“We’re not doing that.” His eyes turn serious, previous eagerness and playful gleam completely gone from them. They keep glancing back and forth from Goro’s eyes to the dagger in his hands. The previously relaxed stance is gone as well, replaced by hands planted firmly on the ground and upper body bent forward; ready to rush to Goro the second the merman gives an indication of following through with his suicide plan.

 

“This is the least risky option.”  _ Just end it. _

 

“Do you even hear yourself?”  _ What makes you think I want that? _

 

“With me gone, you have a chance at a normal life, instead of one where you’d spend each day waiting for me and holding yourself back.” He takes a steadying breath, knowing the calm tone of his voice is just a facade- and one about to break, too. “I’ll never believe you’d choose me above what you have now, even with how bad things seem on your end.”

 

“Of course I would. What makes you think I want any of that if the happiest I’ve been in my life so far was by your side? Aside from that, you took a chance with me and it turned out alright, hopefully. Why can’t you trust me with that?”

 

The thing is, it’s not as simple as stealing a couple of fish from an oblivious human and Goro can only feel the annoyance steadily growing at how lightly Akira seems to be taking all of this. “It’s way bigger than just you, Akira. You have a family; a community. You belong with them.. they will miss you.”

 

“‘They will miss me’. Yeah, you’re probably right. But...” The townspeople avoid him like a plague; he has no obligations towards them. His parents? They didn’t do much to protect him. So Akira shrugs and leans forward, maintaining eye contact with Goro all the while to ensure he’s not being misunderstood, and only when he’s sure he has the merman’s undivided attention, continues. “ _ I’d miss you more _ .”

 

Goro is beyond taken aback by that statement. He’d do anything to find a place to belong. Someone would sacrifice theirs so that he could have one, too? Ridiculous. But his hands begin to shake, their grip on the dagger not so firm anymore.

 

“Don’t take this so lightly!” Denial is a well practiced response, easy to fall back on. “I will never believe you’d let go of everything you have, just like that, on a whim! Don’t you dare make fun of me.” The last sentence comes out as nothing short of a growl and instead of Goro’s chest, the blade is now pointed at Akira. The merman’s eyes gleam just as dangerously as the polished steel of the weapon.

 

Akira knows to choose his words carefully. That’s usually the case around Akechi most of the time, but now, when maybe both their futures are at stake, it’s more vital than ever. He takes a deep breath before speaking.

 

“This might be the only chance we get and you know that better than I do. You risked your life coming here. Let me risk mine to get you out.”

 

“It’s not your responsibility to fix my mistakes.”

 

_ ‘Mistake’...? Ouch _ . “No, it’s not, but I can try to help.” The unshaken disbelief in Akechi’s gaze makes Akira sigh.

 

“It can’t be just that.” Goro forces himself to believe his words. He  _ cannot  _ let up. For a minute that stretches for longer than it has any right to, they both size one another up, fishing for a weakness to strike at. 

 

Akira breaks first, before it can be done to him. He clears his throat and cards a hand through his hair. “Okay, so, for real now.” The merman eyes him warily, seeing how fidgety Akira suddenly became.  _ Now or never. _ “Goro, if you think I want anything else in life more than to catch that that goddamn bluefin tuna with you, you’d be sorely mistaken.” He speaks slowly, with full conviction, praying that Akechi won’t find any faults in his statement. It seems to work, with how the merman jerkily straightens and the dagger falls to the ground as he brings his hands to his chest to curl them into loose fists there. Akira uses the momentary stun his words caused to cautiously reach out and take Goro’s hands in his, gently prying the fingers apart to weave his own with them. The merman’s mouth is slightly agape, perfectly round eyes following his every move. If the situation was a little bit less tense, Akira would absolutely pepper Goro’s face with kisses.

 

“Is this enough of an explanation for you?” Akira goes for a gentle, but lopsided smile and squeezes Akechi’s hands. The merman drops his gaze to them in wonder, as through he can’t believe what’s happening.

 

“...Do you truly mean it?” Goro’s voice is tiny, frightened, when he finally speaks.

 

_ Ah. _ “I think it’s kinda too important to joke about it? Just this once though, don’t get used to it.” Akira lets out a breathy laugh. “I do have that unfortunate reputation I guess, but this time, believe me when I say I mean every word”. Maintaining eye contact he brings their hands to his lips to press a soft kiss to the merman’s knuckles. “Goro, I love you, and I don’t want to spend another day without you.”

 

Goro chokes on his own breath, but once he regains his composure after a minute of gaping accompanied by opening and closing his mouth in true fish-out-of-water fashion, he detangles their interlaced fingers to cup Akira’s face and press their foreheads together. Their breaths mingle but they resist the temptation to kiss the other as Goro hasn’t spoken yet. Akira is more than certain his feelings are reciprocated, but is still nervous.

 

A deep, steadying breath and a successful attempt to dislodge his heart from his throat by swallowing later, Goro finds his voice. “I-” It’s unsure and wavering so he pauses to swallow again. “I’ve felt the same- and for a long time too, Akira, even though it took quite a while for me to come to terms with that feeling. I love you. I love you so much it sometimes hurts, no matter how unlikely it may seem, coming from me.”

 

Akira bursts out laughing at that, so hard there are tears in the corners of his eyes and once he somewhat calms down, a huge grin is present on his face. “Give yourself some credit, you overgrown guppy.” He positively beams at Goro, who’s about to voice his disapproval at Akira’s choice of words but is swiftly silenced by the human swooping in to kiss him. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get chance to get properly heated before Morgana interrupts them, reminding the boys of his presence.

 

“Could you save that for later?!” He squawks as his patience runs out, trotting to where the dagger had laid forgotten. He pointedly avoids looking at them as they part, sharing one more chaste kiss, before their expressions turn serious. It’s time to make the decision.

 

“Last chance to back out, Akira. Choose wisely.” Morgana continues once he has their attention.

 

“Wow, no pressure.” He sighs. ”I...want to go through with it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” A wink directed at Goro earns him the other’s cheeks delicately dusted with a blush. For a brief moment they just soak in the atmosphere, how despite their differences they were able to find a common ground, how their chests are about to burst from the feelings they have for one another, how close they are to never being lonely again. “What do I do with this?” Akira asks as he picks up the blade to inspect it. It sits in his hand eerily comfortably, both its weight and balance perfect for him, like an extension of his own arm. Downright creepy.

 

Morgana, seeing Akira’s puzzled expression, is quick to continue. “The dagger is enchanted so that it makes the cleanest cut possible, by keeping it razor-sharp and steadying its wielder’s hand. Since Akechi has to give up a significant part of his body for the spell to work, it will make the cut quick and less painful.” Akira’s stomach churns at that and Goro pales.

 

“What part of my body are we talking about?” He feels like he’s having an out-of-body experience, his mouth on autopilot. Oh, he’s shaking now as well. “A finger? An entire arm? Or maybe-” He likes the plan less and less with each passing second.

 

“Something like a fin would be better; it’s foreign enough to Akira to further empower the spell and hopefully won’t cripple you too badly.”  _ Hopefully _ .

 

“Maybe the torn shoulder one then? It’s already in a bad state.” Goro immediately plasters it to his back, safely out of sight, the joint unhelpfully flaring up with stabbing pain.

 

“It would be better if it was a healthy one. Something incomplete may weaken the effect.” Goro, under the impression he’s being treated like a ware for sale, feels faint. “So maybe the other one? Akechi, you don’t need them to retain your swimming ability, right?” It was true, but their shape and colors are one of the few things Goro likes in his appearance. He just can’t have nice things, eh?

 

In all honesty, Akira isn’t faring any better, all the while thinking that he has to basically _chop off a piece of his boyfriend and then_ _swallow it._ How did his life lead to this moment, he’d like to know that.

 

Goro, whose eyes were trained on the dagger in Akira’s hands for a while now, steels himself knowing that if they keep discussing it one of them might bail. “I’m alright with losing that fin. I agree with it being the best choice.” His tone is emotionless, matching his blank expression. “Can we… begin? Or perhaps something else still needs to be prepared?” He wants to stall but fights the urge to. Let’s get this over with, _let’s_ _get this over with._

 

Morgana takes a second to consider the question. “Only you two. Everything else is set. It might be better if you two get into the water; it’ll be less mess and will probably be more comfortable for both of you.” The boys exchange a look once he’s done, both taking in the other’s anxiety.

 

“Last chance to back out,” murmurs Goro, his expression somber.

 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Akira offers a reassuring smile and gets up, pretending his legs aren’t made of jelly. “Race you to the water!” He exclaims as he jumps over Goro’s tail without waiting for the merman to catch up. The splash he creates upon jumping makes Morgana scramble with a screech to avoid getting wet. Goro just smiles fondly and joins Akira in a vastly calmer manner, tightly embracing the human waiting for him. They spend a moment like that in silence, their last minute of calm before the storm.

 

When Akira gathers the fin in a loose fist to pull it back and place the dagger just below its base, he leans back one last time to look Goro in the eyes. He sees apprehension, surely reflected in his own, but also hope and determination and most important of all - complete lack of doubt. They both believe it will work; they both want it to work. With that thought and a nod, Akira fills his lungs with air to the brim, clenches his fist and swipes upward.

 

For a fraction of a second there’s nothing but the distant sound of something hitting the water and Akira tilting his head backwards in Goro’s peripheral view, but then the pain registers, white hot and numbing at the same time in its intensity, causing the merman to gasp sharply and every single muscle in his body to seize. The ringing in his ears is nigh unbearable as well, but he manages to notice how Akira’s body suddenly feels like wet sand in his hands; slipping, unable to hold onto him. Frantically, his muddled brain tells him to not let go of the other at any cost, but when thrashing starts and Goro gets hit square in the jaw, he relents.

 

The sting of saltwater hitting the raw, still bleeding wound on his back, even if unwelcome, serves to clear his head a little; a couple of full gulps of water do wonders for his slowly returning lucidity as well. When he finally has half a mind to do something else other than slowly sink to the bottom, he zeroes in on an unmoving, blurry shape to his side and without a second thought darts towards it, frantic to return to shore.

 

Goro only faintly remembers hitting the ground with something  _ heavy  _ additionally pinning him to it, Morgana’s screams and the rush of blood in his ears. But as soon as he hears a sound from above himself, a distinctly human-sounding groan has Goro jerking his head up from the ground, eyes snapping open. There’s a very familiar mop of black hair, easily recognizable even when completely weighed down by water,  _ with two vibrant red points sticking out of it. _ That, and an unmistakably clawed,  _ webbed _ hand that most certainly doesn’t belong to Goro, clenching and unclenching around his bicep. A tiny seed of hope dares to bloom in Akechi’s chest.

 

“Akira?” The body on top of him twitches at the sound but doesn’t do anything else beyond that. Swiftly, Goro pushes himself up, gathering in his arms a completely pliant, to the point of bonelessness, Akira. He slips right from Akechi’s grasp yet again to land on his back next to Goro with arms comically splayed to the side of his torso- or, it would be comical if not for the human (no longer human) openly gasping for air, his gills ( _ gills! _ ) flared and mouth wide open.

 

They are back in the water before Morgana manages to utter a single word.

 

Being able to breathe ( _ underwater! _ ) lets Akira settle down somewhat, but still appear semi-conscious, giving Akechi a chance to actually the take the no-longer-human’s appearance in with wide-eyed wonder. They succeeded. They actually succeeded in turning Akira into a merman. And Goro almost can’t believe his eyes.

 

The hue of Akira’s tail perfectly matches his hair, that deep black contrasting with Goro’s white scales so beautifully the older boy absolutely can’t look away from it, completely mesmerized. A sudden sway of the tailfin has Goro realize it’s red,  _ brilliantly red _ like fresh blood, unlike Akechi’s crimson and all the fins placed on Akira’s body sharing that color. God, if he wasn't smitten before, he definitely is now.

 

“Akira?” He tries to get the other’s attention yet again, this time in a more friendly environment. It seems to work and one full-body shudder later, Akira’s eyes open a smidgen.

 

“...Goro?” Somehow the former human’s voice got deeper along the way and Akechi knows he won’t get tired of hearing it.

 

“We did it.” He decides to feed Akira short and simple sentences, as the younger boy is still clearly out of it.

 

“Oh? That’s good.” Appearing completely unfased, Akira’s eyes shut again, content to go back to sleep. His body is both hot and cold, in pain and numb, jittery and sluggish. His brain urges him to rest. Goro decides not to force Akira to stay awake, having a feeling that the new body will take some some getting used to. For now, he’s happy it was all worth it. Nothing stands in their way now.

 

\---

 

Later, plans Goro has for the nearest future are discussed and Akira profusely apologises to Morgana for, in his opinion, abandoning him when the cat, while saddened, absolutely doesn’t see it as such.

 

\---

 

Time to say goodbyes comes almost too fast, with how quickly Akira manages to get his tail under control. Within days, him and Goro are ready to leave under the protection of a stormy night.

 

“I promise to write you cards from the places we visit, Morgana,” says Akira as he snickers at his friend, who is undecided if he wants to be hugged by a ‘disgusting water creature’ or not.

 

“I’ll be more than happy if you don’t.” Ostentatiously, Morgana busies himself with grooming himself, pointedly avoiding looking in the direction of the two mermen.

 

“Don’t be like that. I was a good owner.” The mock hurt in Akira’s voice makes Goro raise one of his eyebrows.

 

“Owner!” A hiss and a swipe of a clawed paw only earns Morgana a laugh from Akira. It quickly dies down though and the black-haired merman’s expression turns serious, and perhaps a little wistful. It was time to part.

 

“Stay safe, Morgana.”

 

As much as a cat can, he appears to smile. “You two as well.”

 

With a ‘thank you’ and a nod from both mers before they turn to the open sea as their farewell, Morgana can’t feel anything else but pride at the two misfits who have found one another in the most unlikely way. It won’t be the last time they see one another, not by a long shot if is he’s to believe Akira’s words, but next time they meet there might be more members in the pod that Goro and Akira are about to start together. More oddball mers or whatever other sentient creatures live in the sea.

 

But what was most important was that those two have found their place in the world at one another’s side. Against all odds, they ended up together and stronger for that, ready to face any hardships. Morgana couldn’t be happier for having decided to stick to Akira, all that time ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woomy


End file.
